WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 202010www.derbyinformer.com

HERE THEY COME State approves activity calendar as planned

BY ADAM SUDERMANsports@derbyinformer.com

Nearly five months after seeing high school sports endure an abrupt ending due to the threat of COVID-19, the Kansas State High School Activi-ties Association (KSHSAA) gave its member schools the green light for the 2020-2021 fall season.

The decision came courtesy of a nearly split vote between the executive board members. The group of nine administrators reached a 5-4 decision in favor of proceeding as planned with the fall calendar.

Fall practices will be allowed to begin on the originally scheduled date of Monday, Aug. 17. Games and/or tournaments will begin for girls golf and tennis as early as Friday, Aug. 21. Boys soccer and volleyball may follow on Friday, Aug. 28 and football and cross country may begin on Sept. 2.

The Derby Informer con-tacted District Activities Director Russell Baldwin at the conclusion of the July 28 vote. He said the district is in active dis-cussions to accommodate upcoming activity and game schedules and make modifications as needed. Safety protocols have also yet to be established, but are also on the way.

KSHSAA has also listed considerations for each fall sport, providing guidance for its member schools as they decide how and/or when they’ll conduct each activity.

What that means for fans at games and if and/or when they’ll be allowed, that will fall on local healthcare authorities.

“One-size-fits-all is both certainly applicable

and not applicable in this regard in terms of facilities, contests and how local health author-ities will regulate that,” KSHSAA Executive Direc-tor Bill Faflick said. “That is a local decision and local healthcare depart-ments will provide capac-ity limits for contests inside and in facilities.”

The decision to stay on

track for Aug. 17 came roughly a week after asking the executive direc-tors of KSHSAA to survey state superintendents on when they’re choosing to start school.

Seeing a large majority share August start dates didn’t go unnoticed by the executive board.

“Over 70 percent of our schools appear to be start-

ing by the week of Aug. 24,” Salina South athletic director Ken Stonebraker said. “That’s a fairly large number. [However], when you read the comments from our superintendents, you’re going to hear, ‘please start, let’s hold …’ I just don’t know if there is a perfect answer to that.”

As of Thursday, July 30 Kansas is the 27th state to announce no changes to its schedules or has yet to make a ruling. The infor-mation below, courtesy of the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) indicates which states have either decided to modify their calendar or make no changes. Seven additional states have ruled there will be no fall football. All numbers are subject to change.

Had the motion to delay sports gone forward, there

would have been modifi-cations to the front end of schedules. Boys soccer, football, gymnastics and volleyball would have been held until Tuesday, Sept. 8. That would have cancelled the opening week of the football season and also shortened the season for each of the above sports.

Cross country and girls golf and tennis would have been allowed to start on time.

Other proposed recommendations by the KSHSAA executive director staff included:

• Reducing the football season, (8 = HS, 6 = MS/JH)

• Cutting football jamborees

• Reducing the boys soccer season (14 = HS, 8 = MS/JH)

• Reducing the volleyball season (30 = HS, 24 = MS/JH)

FILEThe KSHSAA executive board, which is comprised of district and state officials, voted 5-4 to allow fall activities and sports to open on the previously scheduled date of Monday, Aug. 17. Pictured, Reid Liston (9) in last year’s 21-0 win over Bishop Carroll on Homecoming and Hall of Fame night.

A look at KSHSAA considerations for returning to playBY ADAM SUDERMANsports@derbyinformer.com

While each school will need to work with its local health departments to determine when it’s safe to play, the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) has outlined risk mitigation considerations for schools to explore.

A brief description of key consider-ations is included below for each fall sport that is attached to Derby High School. None of these have been officially observed by Derby High School at this time. A full list of these considerations are available at kshsaa.org.

BOYS & GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY• Schools should consider smaller meets

instead of larger invitational tournaments. • Schools should consider separating varsity

and JV events and limit travel between events.

• Events should consider staggered start times for each team.

• Events should consider having wider starting

boxes and spread them farther apart. • Consider conducting workouts/practices

in staggered schedules and keep groups together.

BOYS SOCCER• Schools should be flexible with contracts

in late cancellations. If a team is unable to compete due to health concerns/COVID-19, no forfeit will be required.

• Consider playing a reduced regular-season schedule.

• Consider not scheduling/hosting multi-team tournaments.

• Consider scheduling one competition per week and playing tournament games at higher seed instead of utilizing one site.

• Suspend pregame World Cup introduction line and send players to their field positions.

GIRLS GOLF • Golfers should have their own equipment.• Driving range availability will be determined

by each course.• Split up areas if more than 10 golfers in

one practice and keep the same groups each day.

• Utilize shotgun starts to avoid gatherings in and around the clubhouse.

• There should be a maximum of 27 participants for a nine-hole course and 54 participants for an 18-hole course.

GIRLS TENNIS• Players should practice social distancing

when reporting match results to score table.• Remove all score devices on each court to

prevent contact.• Each player should receive a chair during

matches, clean after each use.• Take one set of numbered balls and have

playing partner take set from another can. • Should a ball with other number wind up on

other player’s side of court, do not touch. Use your racquet head or feet to advance the ball.

FOOTBALL• Establishing a protocol to clean, sanitize

all player equipment on a routine basis. Players can be required to clean their own equipment, as the protocol from the school.

• Huddle formations should not be formed in a circle, but in rows.

• Team boxes can be extended to the 10-yard line for players only.

• Coin tosses should be limited to the referee, umpire and no more than two representatives from each team.

• All charged timeouts, intermissions between quarters and touchdowns will be two minutes in length in order to facilitate proper hydration with individual water bottles.

VOLLEYBALL • Clothing/towels/knee pads should

be washed after every workout and competition.

• Nets, standards and officials stands should be cleaned and sanitized after set-up and before matches.

• Teams will not change benches unless coaches and officials deem a disadvantage to a team.

• Team benches should be limited to essential personnel.

• Schools will provide their own volleyballs for warmups.

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KSHSAA EXECUTIVE BOARD MOTION TO DELAY SPORTS Board position School district (position) Yes/NoAlan Stein President Hill City (principal) NRoger Perkins Vice president Southern Cloud, 1A (principal) YShannon Haydock Secretary treasurer Rose Hill, 4A (principal) N Jason Herman — Olathe North, 6A (principal) NKen Stonebraker — Salina South, 5A (AD) NGreg Rosenhagen — Cheney, 3A (principal) NMonty Marlin — Sublette, 2A (principal) YMike Kastle — Kansas BOE YDeena Horst — Kansas Department of Education YFINAL TALLY: 5-4, motion fails

SPORT OR NO SPORT? THAT IS THE QUESTIONNO CHANGES (27): Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, WyomingMODIFIED CALENDAR (24): Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.NO FALL FOOTBALL (7): California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia, Washington.