By Joshua Huff, sports editor
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced on Thursday that the central board of control has decided to cancel mandatory summer practices and competition due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Local schools are allowed to conduct workouts, individual skill development, conditioning and weightlifting, but those schools must comply with Alabama State Department of Education and Alabama Department of Health guidelines.
The AHSAA’s Medical Advisory Board, in partnership with the ALSDE, is creating health guidelines for the schools once they reopen. Those guidelines will focus on physical distancing, group activities based on square footage, respiratory coverings, sanitizing equipment and hand washing. Those guidelines will be left up to the local schools to implement and regulate. Those guidelines are expected after May 22, 2020.
The ALSDE is also working with five other states to create a road map for best practices to begin the school year in August. Those practices will be released around June 19, 2020.
After receiving suggestions and questions from the committees regarding summer workouts, practices, skill development and evaluations, along with discussions with the AHSAA Central Board of Control, the following guidelines were recommended:
• In accordance with AHSAA bylaws, mandatory summer practices are prohibited, but weightlifting, conditioning, individual skill development, and workouts are under the jurisdiction of local schools. However, schools must comply with all ALSDE and ADPH guidelines including, but not limited to, the number of students within non-interchangeable groups and the overall number of groups. Nonetheless, local schools may use a process to determine the student-athletes who make up the individual groups.
• Modified evaluations for fall, winter, and spring sports were presented.
Other topics of discussions:
• The AHSAA Medical Advisory Board, along with the ALSDE, is creating basic health guidelines for the schools to follow once campuses reopen. The minimum guidelines will focus on physical distancing, group activities based on square footage, respiratory coverings (face coverings), sanitizing equipment, hand washing, etc. The guidelines will be recommendations and left up to local schools to implement and regulate. Expected release date is after May 22.
• Schools should prepare alternatives for conducting physicals for the upcoming school year. Mass physicals on same day at one location appear very unlikely. The Medical Advisory Board recommends students get a physical from their primary care provider prior to the first practice date.
• The Central Board has cancelled all summer competition. As always, schools may hold camps with their students and feeder school students.
• Schools should prepare to provide accommodations for those students who are at risk or whose parents feel it is not yet safe to return to school.
• The AHSAA will reconvene with all contingency planning committees and provide an update after the latest guidelines are released by the Governor and the ADPH on May 22, 2020.