‘NEW CHALLENGES’
Winter teams can begin practice soon, but for some there’s a catch
There has been a change of plans.
Again.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services updated Wednesday a coronavirus-related executive order that will impact some prep winter sports and probably push some state tournaments later into the calendar.
Basketball teams that planned to start playing games on Jan. 22 will have to adjust schedules.
“Some new challenges were presented to us today,” Mark
Uyl, executive director of the Michigan High School Athletic Association, said on The Huge Show on 1270 (AM).
Three non-contact sports — girls gymnastics, girls and boys bowling and boys swimming & diving — may start practice Saturday, while four contact sports may begin indoor practices that day, but with non-contact activities, Uyl said.
Gymnastics, bowling and swimming & diving, which are considered non-contact sports, may begin competition before the end of this month — swimming & diving Jan. 22 and gymnastics and bowling Jan. 25, Uyl said. State tournaments for those sports, Uyl added, will conclude in March.
Contact sports basketball, competitive cheer, hockey and wrestling may begin indoors non-contact practices Saturday, with their first competitions scheduled for Feb. 1, Uyl said.
“You’ve got keep physical distancing. You can’t have physical contact between teammates, (and) there can’t be any scrimmaging,” Uyl said in reference to contact-sport activities. “Those four contact sports are going to have about 2 ½ weeks of noncontact practices, and hopefully with the next order we’re planning that competition can begin (Feb. 1).
“Good news for our non-contact winter sports. Frustrating news for the four contact winter sports. We’re going to keep pushing for those kids and coaches to get to compete and play, as well.”
The MHSAA, Uyl said, will adjust tournaments for contact sports to conclude on dates later than originally scheduled. Those dates will be announced later this week, the MHSAA said in a news release.
Girls and boys skiing, an out
door non-contact sport, was allowed to begin in December. At most schools around the state, Uyl said, girls basketball teams had about a week of practice before being shut down. Boys basketball teams have yet to practice and might not be ready
to play by Feb. 1, Uyl added.
Uyl expressed concern that Michigan could lose athletes to border states Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin.
“Those surrounding states are wrestling,” Uyl said. “Another reality is we’re going to have kids that are going to find activity. We learned this in the fall. That’s only going to make things more challenging
over the next few weeks.”
For non-contact sports, masks will be required of all participants except when they are actively participating in gymnastics and swimming & diving, the release said.
Spectators will be capped at 100 persons in school gyms or 250 in stadiums and arenas, per MDHHS orders, the release added.