Some districts opting out of AIA winter sports
Tolleson Union High School District, like the fall, won’t be having winter sports played among its schools as competition begins in the Arizona Interscholastic Association next week.
“Schools in the Tolleson Union High School District have been waiting patiently to get Winter sports practices started and 100% planned on participating in the ‘20-21 AIA Winter Sports Season,” said Joe Ortiz, spokesman for the district, in an email. “However, with 66 students confirmed COVID-19 positive in the last 10 days, 9 students losing a parent/guardian, 140+ staff testing positive, a condensed Winter schedule (making it difficult to meet postseason requirements), our current community metrics and the recommendation of the AIA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to not have Winter Sports, we simply cannot justify moving forward.
“With great disappointment, TUHSD must cancel all Winter Sports participation.”
The schools involved are Avondale Westview, Tolleson, Avondale La Joya Community, West Point, Glendale Copper Canyon and Sierra Linda.
The AIA’s 6A Conference Southwest Region has been reduced to three schools: No.2-ranked Phoenix Sunnyslope and Surprise schools Valley Vista and Shadow Ridge.
Tolleson district never got going for the fall sports season, because of the pandemic.
Phoenix Union High School District, which started football late in the fall and got in only three football games before shutting it down, has not determined if it will play winter sports. The schools have been in remote learning since the start of the school year.
Zack Munoz, who is the district’s athletic director and a voice on the AIA Executive Board, voted no in the two votes on whether to have a winter sports season, citing the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee’s recommendation not to start the season now because of the surging coronavirus metrics in the state.
“We are still working through our internal processes,” said Richard Franco, spokesman for the PXU.
Apache Junction announced on social media Tuesday evening that it will not be part of the winter sports season.
Bisbee Athletic Director Mike Frosco said in an email to The Arizona Republic that his school won’t be involved involved in winter sports after “our school board voted to not have the sports because of the high metrics of COVID.”
In Southern Arizona, Tucson Salpointe Catholic and Tucson Pusch Ridge Academy are starting the boys and girls basketball, soccer and wrestling competition next week.
Steve Botkin, activities director and head girls basketball coach at Tucson Sahuaro, said that most teams in Southern Arizona “are waiting for their districts to inform them of what the plan is moving forward.”