OHSAA confirms winter sports set to begin as scheduled
The winter sports games have begun around Ohio and in Holmes County, and the OHSAA has laid down the groundwork for teams and fans relating to COVID-19. The West Holmes Lady Knights and Katie Sprang, center, already started the season with a big win, Sprang recording a huge opening night.
In a memo to its member schools on Wednesday, Nov. 18, the Ohio High School Athletic Association reaffirmed its position that the upcoming winter sports seasons will begin as previously scheduled. While individual school districts can pause sports at any time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the OHSAA does not intend to alter the statewide season dates.
The decision came after discussions with the Governor’s Office, the OHSAA Board of Directors, OHSAA staff and many school administrators, along with the results of a recent survey of OHSAA member school administrators. Of 1,464 survey responses, 826 respondents (56%) voted to begin winter sports as previously scheduled.
“Though we are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases in Ohio, the majority of our member schools want the opportunity to move forward with winter sports as planned,” OHSAA executive director Doug Ute said. “As always, the decision to play sports is a local school decision, and there will certainly be schools that pause sports for periods of time in the months to come, but if the majority of our schools want to move forward, then we want to provide that opportunity. As we have said previously, our member schools provide our student-athletes with the safest possible environment to participate. If we were to delay, students would find opportunities to compete in sports through nonschool programs that may not be focused on safety and are not education-based.”
The survey results showed 33% of school administrators favored delaying winter sports until early January, and 11% voted to delay winter sports indefinitely until statewide COVID-19 conditions improve.
The governor’s curfew order
As it relates to school sports, the governor’s 10 p.m. Ohio curfew order does not mean teams and fans must be home from their competitions by 10 p.m., but venues must be vacated by 10 p.m. The OHSAA encourages schools and conferences to alter start times if needed so that competitions end in time to close the facility by 10 p.m.
COVID-19 general guidance
All mandates in the Ohio Department of Health director’s sports order must continue to be followed for winter sports. Here is a link to the health director’s sports order: https://bit.ly/2RWa1jh.
In addition, here is a link to the health department’s Responsible RestartOhio guidance document for sports: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/Youth-Collegiate-Amateur-Club-Pro-Sports.pdf, and here is a link to the ODH’s Responsible RestartOhio guidance document for sports venues: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/Sports-Venues.pdf.
It is especially important requirements for facial coverings, social distancing and frequent hand-washing be followed and that facility hosts disinfect and clean competition and high-contact areas frequently. The order has a limit on spectator capacity, which is the lesser of 15% of fixed, permanent seats or 300.