■ FHSAA votes to allow high school sports to practice Aug. 24, play Sept. 4.
FHSAA votes to allow high school sports to practice Aug. 24, play Sept. 4
GAINESVILLE — Can you hear the applause from some 40,000 coaches, players and parents who signed a Florida petition using #WeWantToPlay or #LetUsPlay hashtags to forcefully ask that high school sports start as soon as possible despite ongoing concerns about the state’s coronavirus outbreak?
They got their wish on Friday when the Florida High School Athletic Association’s board of directors voted 11-5 to allow fall sports teams to start official practices Aug. 24 and play games on Friday, Sept. 4.
The decision, made during the board’s first in-person meeting since high school campuses and sports were shut down in March, was based largely on an “Option 1” plan crafted long ago by FHSAA staffers. It finally gave teams clear parameters after months of sometimes divisive debate and drawnout deliberation by the association’s elected and appointed board members.
The Option 1 proposal gained clarity and traction when Hialeah Gardens athletic director Carlos Ochoa offered an addendum early on in Friday’s meeting. He added a stipulation that gives schools that can’t start as soon others due to coronavirus conditions the choice to either participate in state playoffs or opt out of the FHSAA’s postseason tournaments. Those that do depart before a Sept. 18 deadline will be free to work with FHSAA staff to create sports calendars and scheduling solutions that best suit their programs for the 2020-21 school year.
“We’d be happy to work with those schools to create a regional calendar,” said beleaguered FHSAA executive director George Tomyn. “We’ve said that all along.”
The vote came 2 1⁄2 hours into Friday’s meeting in a Best Western
Gateway Grand hotel ballroom near FHSAA headquarters in Gainesville.
Ochoa’s amendment calls for a review of the statewide situation, including the numbers of teams that have committed to the state series, when the board meets again Sept. 20-21.
The decision means football, girls volleyball, bowling, cross country, golf and swimming teams can start practice in 10 days if permitted by their school districts or private school administrators.
The Seminole County Public Schools district had set Aug. 31 as its practice start date. SCPS athletics director supervisor Mike Gaudreau said a decision should be made early next week on whether Seminole will change that to Aug. 24.
The Orange County Public Schools district was waiting for a