Per the News Enterprise, Hardin County Schools have a plan in place to reopen co-curricular or extra-curricular activities. These plans establish four tier levels for athletics:

1. Low touch outdoor: track, tennis, golf, cross country, baseball, softball.

2. Low touch indoor: swimming, bowling, archery.

3. High touch indoor: basketball, cheerleading, dance, volleyball, wrestling.

4. High touch outdoor: football, soccer.

Participant not actively participating in athletic activities must wear face coverings, including coaches.

Only groups of 10 or fewer until June 29th. Participants must bring their own water bottles with hand sanitizer available at all times and an emphasis on hand washing.

 

The school district sat down with Har­din Memorial Health and went through all the recom­men­da­tions being put out by the Kentucky High School Ath­letic Association and local health departments.

 

Facilities must sanitize almost all surfaces and make sure groups aren't gathering at entrances and exits and include temperature checks to participants administered daily.

 

Until June 14th, restrictions will remain in place with practice and competition with some acceptable meetings.

 

June 15 through 28, social distancing guidelines will be applied and competition cannot be conducted but will focus more on conditioning and skill development for participants. One exception is cheerleader and dance tryouts which need to be held virtually.

During that time, no football gear may be provided and gyms will be closed with activities needing to be outside.

June 29 through July 12, skill development and general conditioning will continue and a ball cannot be used that is passed, handed or thrown to another participant.

After July 12, more guidance will be disseminated with recommendations to implement after that date with the intent to have a safe return to the fall sports season.

La Salle HS in OH just put out an email looking to fill two games due to out of state teams canceling games. This might be signs of teams that have out of state opponents beginning to lose opponents.

La Salle HS in OH just put out an email looking to fill two games due to out of state teams canceling games. This might be signs of teams that have out of state opponents beginning to lose opponents.

 

There's a chance you could lose games to instate teams. Even with guidelines, I would think there will be some districts that make the decision to cancel seasons. Just because the KHSAA says it's ok to play, doesn't mean everyone will.

There's a chance you could lose games to instate teams. Even with guidelines, I would think there will be some districts that make the decision to cancel seasons. Just because the KHSAA says it's ok to play, doesn't mean everyone will.

 

Possibly but I would think that would be schools struggling to field teams anyway I would assume if the KHSAA gives the go ahead most schools will play.

Possibly but I would think that would be schools struggling to field teams anyway I would assume if the KHSAA gives the go ahead most schools will play.

 

I would think so too. But the term "most schools" means there may be some that don't. Which means there will be a possibility teams might lose games, even with in state teams.

 

The other piece that hasn't been mentioned is what numbers may look like. You have to consider there will be some parents who will be reluctant to let their kids play. That could impact some smaller schools/teams ability to field teams.

 

All in all, I fear we have a long way to go before we can say for sure we will have a season, and I certainly believe, it's not going to be business as usual.

La Salle HS in OH just put out an email looking to fill two games due to out of state teams canceling games. This might be signs of teams that have out of state opponents beginning to lose opponents.

 

Or they just didn’t wanna play La Salle lol.

Fayette County coaches were told today they could not start until June 29.

Fayette County coaches were told today they could not start until June 29.

Is that also the date of the next KHSAA meeting to see how things will move forward starting July 10?

June 29 is the day KHSAA moves to what they are calling Segment 3. It's unclear exactly what that will mean for high school. For youth sports, that will mean "low touch" practices, "medium sharing" of equipment, and no more that 50 youths at practice.

Low touch are cleared for practices now I believe.

Low touch are cleared for practices now I believe.

 

This is something confusing about the rules. There are 4 categories of sports: Low Touch/Indoor, High Touch/Indoor, Low Touch/Outdoor, and High Touch Outdoor. Each has their own rules, but none of the sports can have practices until June 15.

 

They also use the phrase low touch to describe the amount of contact allowed at a practice. Football is considered a high touch/outdoor sport, but will be limited to "no touch" practices from June 15 to June 28.

Here is a link to the most current guidelines issued today:

http://khsaa.org/resources/Covid19/khsaajune2020covidallowancesandrestrictions.pdf

 

They still say "Additional Guidance for Football practices beginning June 15 will be forthcoming" on page 11. This must be making it really difficult for coaches who are trying to plan practices for Monday and still don't have the rules.

Confusion is the name of the game for the world right now.

Here is a link to the most current guidelines issued today:

http://khsaa.org/resources/Covid19/khsaajune2020covidallowancesandrestrictions.pdf

 

They still say "Additional Guidance for Football practices beginning June 15 will be forthcoming" on page 11. This must be making it really difficult for coaches who are trying to plan practices for Monday and still don't have the rules.

I think most have a plan. I believe a number of districts had coaches submit plans for how they would conduct practice to be approved by their districts. If a coach is having problems he might want to talk to the basketball coaches.

 

This isn’t a shot a basketball coaches. I’ve always said if you want to know how to take full advantage of a rule talk to a basketball coach. If you want to know how to raise/handle money talk to the band. In my years I’ve found those two groups are experts at those two things.

Something that could be considered as good news regarding this issue... Yesterday it was announced that while recommendations will be made for reopening, it is going to be up to the individual districts to determine how they attend school in the fall. Certainly seems like a positive to me.