KHSAA in holding pattern for fall sports activity | PioneerNews.net - The Pioneer News

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 SHEPHERDSVILLE – Is the start of the high school sports season just two weeks away?

Yes and no is the simple answer.

First and foremost last week, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) extended limits on summer practice/conditioning through Aug. 2. At first, the Segment 3 rules were set to expire this week when the normal start of July 15 would have allowed fall sports to get back to a more normal schedule.

Already this summer, the KHSAA cancelled the ‘Dead Period’ that normally runs from June 25 to July 9. The logic was sound there as high school sports were completely shut down for most of the spring because of Covid-19. The KHSAA has allowed some team meetings and conditioning work since the middle of June.

But last week the KHSAA extended the Segment 3 restart, pushing it back to Aug. 3. This was done at the first Bard of Control meeting for the 2020-21 academic year on July 10 in Covington.

There was one exception to the extension and that is for the fall sport of golf. Area golf teams can start practice on Wednesday of this week and the first matches can still be played as early as July 31.

As readers of The Pioneer News are aware, golf has been in full swing most of the summer with some minor changes in how the game is played being implemented.

There was some concern before the Board of Control meeting that the KHSAA would take an all or nothing approach to fall sports – either allowing all seven (Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Dance, Cross Country and Competitive Cheer) to be played or shutting down all sports. The exception for golf is a solid indicator that the KHSAA will allow as many sports to be played as is safely possible even if some other sports cannot be played.

That exception for golf means that the Bullitt East Invitational can still be held on Friday, July 31 at Tanglewood Golf Course in Taylorsville. Charger head coach Kyle Downs can also still plan on having his Charger Invitational the following Friday, Aug. 7, at Heritage Hill Golf Course.

Over the weekend, KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett wrote:

“The primary goal of the Association is the safety of all participants, coaches, and administrators involved while also attempting to ensure that no athletic activity and subsequent virus complications delay the planned start of school for this fall. As of now, the high touch sports, as defined in the Governor’s Youth Sports Order, we remain in Stage 1 of the four key stages of the fundamental four “P”s to resuming interscholastic sports and sport-activities – preparation, preseason, participation and postseason.”

One interesting sidebar from the Board of Control meeting is the Board made a ‘strong recommendation’ that each athlete be limited to a total of six hours per week (of athletic work).

Tackett is hoping to have a clearer picture in place from the KHSAA by the end of the month.

“The Board then directed the Commissioner’s office to finalize the development of guidance for formal practice and contests for fall sports in consultation with the Governor’s Office, Department of Public Health and the Department of Education to allow for the regular season to begin (including timelines) and that such guidance, including alternative policy considerations, be reviewed by the Board of Control for adoption in the period of late July or early August.”

Earlier last week, Tackett spoke during a meeting of the state’s Interim Joint Commission on Education in the morning. That afternoon, he spoke during a meeting of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Superintendents Webcast.

In the morning meeting, Tackett stressed the important of high school sports in keeping students involved and motivated while also addressing the concerns over participation in these activities.

“We realize that we’re walking a tightrope here. There’s obviously perceived and likely real risks of participation in extra curricular athletics. But we are also in very many communities the No. 1 dropout tool that you have.” Tackett said during the meeting. “There are people in our communities that every one of you know would not be participating if there was not an athletics or activities opportunity. We’re trying to walk that tightrope delicately.”

At this point, there will be fall sports under the KHSAA banner.

“”We are looking at having fall sports, without doubt. We are still planning for fall sports,” Tackett said. “What that looks llike could change, just like the data related to the virus changes. We are more optimistic now than perhaps a few weeks ago when we see what the states of Illinois, Indiana, other neighbors have been able to do.”

As we learned when the KHSAA had to cancel the state basketball tournaments this past school year, that the organization generates a great deal of its income from the football championship games and the two state basketball tournaments.

At this point, Tackett pointed out that football might be ready to go before basketball.

“Interestingly, right now as we look forward to basketball, it’s actually, according to, the sports medicine fols, it’s more dangerous than football,” Tackett said. “That would surprise a lot of people but they’re talking about vulnerability to the disease because it’s played inside. The ventilation, how long we practice, how long we play, there’s gonna have to be some areas addressed there.”

At this point in Bullitt County, sports like football and soccer are conducting conditioning drills under rules that limit the overall numbers as well as the use of social distancing and the number allowed in small practice groups. All of those practices are outdoor. Basketball and volleyball are not allowed indoor sessions. If there is bad weather, football and soccer cannot move sessions indoors.

Tackett hopes to have some plans in place that would allow for some local control without setting guidelines for the entire state.

“Without question, everything has to be on the table and everything is on the table,” Tackett said. “Right now, we have an open opportunity for everyone to get involved, get back out of the house, get in shape as students and be checked for their physical and mental fitness. It doesn’t have to be today that we define what’s being played because frankly the virus keeps changing all around the country.”

In some related issues from the Board of Control meeting, the KHSAA announced some changes in the way that the RPI will be tabulated for the upcoming sports seasons. Mainly, if a certain game is not played, it will go down as both a win and a tie for each school. The RPI just got off the ground last season and is really hard to understand for most fans and except for the third and fourth rounds of the state playoffs it doesn’t really affect post-season play at this point.

Also, the KHSAA suspended the First Day Credits Earned Checks for this school year if students did not carry over enough credits ONLY for condition brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Another of some local bearing is that has suspended the Prime Date requirement for girls’ basketball for the upcoming school year. This was done due to anticipated scheduling challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Prime Date rule is a Title IX issue that requires girls’ basketball teams to play a certain percentage of games in prime time. It is like 40 percent of each team’s games need to play played as the main game on certain days of the week. That is one reason we’ve seen fewer girl/boy doubleheaders in recent seasons.

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