Semoball

MSHSAA releases fall sports guidelines

Cape Central's DaShawn Franklin runs for a score against Poplar Bluff last season at Cape Central High School.
Brian Rosener ~ Daily American Republic

With three weeks to go before the official start of fall sports in Missouri, local athletes and coaches are preparing and taking precautions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Obviously things won’t be normal, but we’re going to try and do this close to normal as we can and try to get our kids ready,” said Kent Keith, Poplar Bluff’s athletic director.

“We plan on playing all of our fall sports.”

Last week, MSHSAA released guidelines and recommendations on opening sports and activities around the state.

If there is a statewide closure of in-person learning, MSHSAA said it will “be unable to allow for either a regular season or postseason series” in sports and activities. However, if a majority of schools are open for at least some in-person learning, “efforts will be made to administer” a fall sports season for those schools based on the guidelines of the local and state health departments.

MSHSAA’s Board of Directors will “monitor and evaluate circumstances and consult with public health officials to make decisions in the best interest of all students.”

Different areas of the state will have different guidelines or restrictions, and MSHSAA says those local rules should be followed.

Last week, for example, St. Louis City County schools returned to guidelines that limited practices to no more than 10 total athletes and coaches in a group while practicing social distancing.

Poplar Bluff had similar guidelines in place when practices resumed in June with all practices being held outdoors and the weight room off limits.

Currently, there can be up to 28 athletes using the weight room at one time with 14 stations set up. Keith said after each group is done, the equipment is being disinfected before being used again.

“We’re not where we need to be obviously, but we’re getting there,” Poplar Bluff football coach David Seivers said of the Mules.

“We’re getting football and we’re getting weights, which is a lot more than we had for the last three months. It’s a start.”

Sievers said Poplar Bluff is “a lot better off than” some schools, “so we’re thankful for what we’ve got.”

The Missouri Football Coaches Association has recommended that all summer workouts between teams, such as 7-on-7 camps, be canceled so there is no interaction between teams. It also recommends that preseason jamborees, held a week before the season is scheduled to start, not be held.

The Mules are set to open the season Aug. 28 at home against O’Fallon (Ill.), which competes under the guidance of the Illinois High School Association. The IHSA has said it will defer to the state department of public health on all of its guidelines.

“That’s a big question mark,” Keith said of playing out-of-state opponents.

“We’re going to play somebody, I just don’t know if it’s going to be O’Fallon or not.”

Poplar Bluff will hold its annual free physical night Thursday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m. for junior high students, 6:30 p.m. for underclassmen and 7:30 p.m. for upperclassmen.

Students must have a valid physical before participating in any practice.

Practices for high school sports starts Aug. 10 with junior high practices starting a week later.

MSHSAA said the “physical and psychosocial benefits of education-based activity participation are numerous. Students who participate in school activities learn life lessons in an environment that cannot be duplicated.”

However, MSHSAA also acknowledges the risk of infection of the virus will still be present “to some degree as school activities begin” and throughout the school year.

“Participation in school activities is voluntary and every individual will need to evaluate the risk versus the benefits” and that those students and staff members who are at higher risk, or who live with family members with higher-risk health concerns, “should evaluate associated risks.”

As of Monday, the seven-day average of new cases statewide was at its highest at 819. When schools were close in the spring, the highest seven-day average was just 254.

Butler County has reported at least one new positive test of COVID-19 for the past 16 days. In that time, 58 cases have been confirmed, raising the county’s total from 99 to 156.

“Our coaches are being careful and hopefully it will continue and we went’ have any major breakout,” Keith said.

Sievers said he has been limiting his community exposure.

“I, myself, don’t want to be the reason we have to shut down for a couple of weeks,” Sievers said. “And I told the kids on numerous occasions, we’ve got to make the most of every minute of practice.”

MSHSAA’s guidelines set recommendations for schools and teams to screen athletes and personnel, and what to do when someone tests positive for COVID-19.

Among the guidelines to help avoid infection, athletes should not share workout clothing and equipment. Everyone should be required to bring and fill their own water containers or bottles and must not be shared.

Face coverings are required for everyone any time they are not doing strenuous physical activity, including before and following activities.

Schools need to consider social distancing when scheduling contests and needs to be maintained on buses or vans, MSHSAA states.

Schools are also encouraged to offer live streaming of contests to reduce attendance at events, and may limit the number of people at contests depending on local or state health department guidelines. The three groups include essential, such as athletes, coaches and staff; preferred and non-essential, such as spectators and vendors.

Before the spring sports season was shut down, MSHSAA limited the number of spectators to attend postseason basketball games due to the virus.

“Things change every day,” Keith said. “It just takes one person making a mistake and it can really catch fire and be bad. All you can do is be as careful as you can and keep praying that things are going to get better.”

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