Private schools face scheduling predicament
Since mitigation standards differ across TCIS, planning winter sports has been complicated
Scheduling is a challenge for even the most organized high school athletic directors.
But for private-school athletic directors in the age of coronavirus, scheduling can be a nightmare.
In the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools, teams have already started playing winter sports. But each school has its own set of mitigation standards, so the schedule is in a constant state of flux.
“Every school has a couple degrees of difference,” Catholic High athletic director Lyndsey Boyce said. “We decided from the beginning that there is no right answer. Each athletic director has to do what is needed for its community. The TCIS is united on our parameters, but everyone is different.
“We tried to come up with something everyone agrees on, but everyone is different,” Boyce said.
How different are the schools? It depends on the sport. Wrestling is risky, so many athletes are limited to conditioning drills. Swimming and indoor track are taking place, but most events are virtual, with athletes competing alone and submitting their performances.
When it comes to basketball, the differences come to the forefront.
According to the TCIS’ mitigation protocols, teams are required to wear masks on the sidelines, practice social distancing, use hand sanitizer and not use locker rooms for changing and showering. Teams are also permitted to wear masks while playing games. The wearing of masks during games is where things start getting complicated.
Catholic High is willing play with or without masks, but it checks with players and parents before deciding to wear masks. Cape Henry Collegiate, on the other hand, won’t play a team that won’t wear masks while playing.
“We practice in masks and we
play in them,” said Cape Henry athletic director Jeanne Short, who added that if the Dolphins find a team that will play in masks, the game will proceed.
Norfolk Collegiate is allowing its athletes to play without masks, but there’s a caveat. According to a letter sent to parents, students who participate in athletics need to take their classes virtually until the season is completed.
“We have a robust virtual program and we want to keep our community — students, teachers and administrators — safe,” Norfolk Collegiate athletic director
Jon Hall said. “Any athlete playing needs to go into the virtual bubble to keep the rest of the population safe.”
Norfolk Academy is going beyond that to keep its bubble unpenetrated by the coronavirus.
Along with testing every student, faculty member and employee every two weeks, the school sent out an Acknowledgement of Community Responsibility form to parents at the start of the school year. The form, which required a parent’s signature, told parents what the school was doing to protect the community and what parents need to do. Included in the form was this:
“Families who have participated in any highrisk activity or gathering, where protocols for physical distancing and mask-wearing are not followed, should switch to distance learning and remain at home for at least two weeks. If the school administration becomes aware of such behavior or exposure, students may be required to shift to distance learning.”
What’s a high-risk activity? In sports, it’s any activity classified as high-risk by the NCAA.
Those sports are basketball, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rugby, soccer, squash, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
Dennis Manning, the headmaster at Norfolk Academy, said the two goals for the school were the personal health and safety of the community and to sustain in-person instruction.
“There is risk especially when you’re traveling and there’s crowds and you’re trying to maintain your two goals and protect the faculty,” Manning said.
As for the winter sports season, Norfolk Academy athletic director Chad Byler said the school is hoping to play games later in December or in January. The Bulldogs are looking to find schools testing like they are. Athletes at Norfolk Academy are tested every week, and Byler estimated that the school has done approximately 9,000 tests since the start of the school year.
“We’d love to play, but we don’t feel that it’s right at this point,” Byler said.
The situation for all the TCIS schools is still fluid, depending on the coronavirus metrics in eastern Virginia.
“We re-evaluate on a daily and weekly basis,” Short said. “You have to be able to pivot and adjust based on what’s happening in your community.”
One item has remained consistent: Some athletes are willing to do whatever is necessary in order to have sports again.
“Our p a r t i c i p a t i o n numbers are really good,” Short said. “The kids have missed being a part of a team.”
For public schools, the Virginia High School League season begins Monday as basketball practices start throughout the state. All other winter sports will start practicing on Dec. 14. The first games are scheduled for Dec. 21.