NMAA warns violators of safety protocols

After unanimous vote, Marquez has power to punish teams

The state’s high schools are on notice: follow COVID-19 safety protocols or incur the wrath of the New Mexico Activities Association.

The NMAA’s board of directors on Monday morning voted unanimously (12-0) to give executive director Sally Marquez the power to administer punishment to schools that violate those protocols.

“I think we can all do a better job with following the guidelines,” Marquez said. Proper mask wearing is a particular area of concern.

The 30-minute special meeting with the board on Monday contained a very surprising revelation from Marquez, who told the board that an athlete had perhaps knowingly played in a recent state championship game while displaying COVID symptoms.

Marquez would not comment on which school, or sport, she was talking about. Both volleyball and soccer recently conducted state championship games in Albuquerque.

“It’s getting to a point, where I can keep warning, I can keep telling them what we need to do … but the behavior has not stopped in many, many situations,” Marquez said during the meeting. “And we’re gonna have to (use) a heavy hand in order to get to the finish line for the spring sports.”

The high school sports calendar for 2021 is being played from late February through late June, and

New Mexico is not yet halfway through that four-month window.

Last Wednesday night, the state told the NMAA to suspend the high school wrestling season out of concern of a spike in positive COVID-19 cases. The NMAA informed schools of that decision on Thursday morning.

A few hours later on Thursday, after discussions between the NMAA and state entities, the season was reinstated.

“I’m worried we won’t have a chance to finish,” Marquez said, a reference to the June calendar date, which is when the spring sports will conclude this year.

“I was hoping this could be a collaborative effort,” Marquez said to her board members, “but I’ll do whatever I can to make sure we have sports for these kids.”

Sanctions Marquez may consider include suspensions, forfeitures, fines and/or postseason bans. This measure is being implemented on an emergency basis for this spring semester, which will end academically many weeks before baseball, softball, golf, tennis and track and field reach their postseasons in June.

“We are (at risk) of being shut down right now,” Marquez said.

A handful of schools already have been impacted by positive COVID cases. In football, St. Michael’s, Cibola and Cloudcroft were among the schools that had to cancel football games. West Mesa, Piedra Vista, Santa Fe and Eldorado are among the schools whose basketball schedules have been delayed or interrupted by COVID.

Marquez said concerns have been raised to the NMAA office about schools not complying with state orders and NMAA guidelines as they pertain to safely conducting sports seasons. This includes not just athletes and coaches, but administrators, parents and spectators.

“I think,” said NMAA board member Travis Dempsey, the Gadsden Independent School District Superintendent, “we’re on the edge of losing a lot of things here.”

Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Scott Elder, also a board member, said he didn’t want APS to lose in-person graduation ceremonies or the spring sports.

The board on Monday, in a narrow 8-5 ■ vote, said that out-of-season coaching could continue until Memorial Day weekend, but only in small groups.