Basketball teams permitted to resume winter season

ELKINS PARK » Members of Cheltenham School Board met virtually once again last week to come to a resolution on boys and girls basketball amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We want to follow up with the board with respect to boys and girls basketball competition status,” said Superintendent Wagner

Marseille during the special session that took place on Jan. 4.

After much discussion, the board voted to allow boys and girls teams to compete during the winter season.

“I think we’ve been given a lot of information to weigh,” said School Board member Julie Haywood. “You always have to balance the pros and cons of every decision that you make, but I feel confident that safety has always been at the center of the information that we’ve been provided.”

The decision, which passed in an 8-1 vote with School Board member Bill England dissenting, comes as a follow-up to a previously approved policy initiative concerning winter sports for Cheltenham student athletes and coaches. Education officials met virtually during a Nov. 23, 2020 special session to discuss the matter.

Suni Blackwell, coordinator of athletics and activities, outlined a proposed plan for the school board members’ consideration that balances health and safety with the ability to allow students to participate.

“This is the year to be very, very, very flexible and adjust to what would needs to be adjusted to adhere [to] guidelines that need to be followed within reason as far as with weather,” Blackwell said in November.

In addition to underscoring the

need to wear masks, Blackwell also outlined the following protocols to comply with COVID-19 health and safety measures:

• All coaches, staff and student-athletes in attendance MUST complete COVID-19 monitoring form prior to practices.

• The COVID-19 monitoring form should be completed no sooner than two hours prior to a practice.

• A family member should assist the student with completing the form.

• Each team will have a COVID-19 monitoring form accessible through scanning a QR code. A hard copy of the monitoring form will also be available.

• Coaches, staff and student-athletes may not remain on campus if the form isn’t completed.

• Any coaches, staff or student-athletes who believe they are sick MUST remain at home.

When arriving on campus, Blackwell noted the following guidelines in his presentation:

• During virtual learning, all coaches, staff and student-athletes will enter the building through the south gymnasium corridor entrance (same as games) for practices.

• During hybrid learning, all coaches, staff and hybrid model student-athletes will enter the athletics area of the building at the southeast gymnasium corridor (concession stand area) entrance for practices. All coaches, staff and virtual model student-athletes will enter the building through the southwest gymnasium corridor entrance (same as games) for practices.

• All coaches, staff and student-athletes will be screened by an athletic trainer or coach for signs/ symptoms of COVID-19.

• Screening will include a pass/fail temperature check with a non-contact thermometer. Those registering a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, or are sick, will be sent home.

Blackwell praised students and coaches for their cooperation and participation amid the ongoing public health crisis.

“The student athletes did a great job adjusting to wearing masks not only indoors, but while competing and practicing,” Blackwell said last week. “When I say competing, I’m talking about hustling, I’m talking about doing wind sprints, I’m talking about all those things not just regular exercise, and kudos to all our student athletes and coaches who adapted and adjusted to our safety plan.”

The winter season resumed on Monday, according to Blackwell, who added that the health and safety plan permitted the girls basketball team to “possibly complete in varsity only,” while the boys basketball team would have the freshman, junior varsity and varsity players competing.

The first week of practice recorded 44 student athletes for the boys basketball team, and four student athletes on the girls basketball team, according to Blackwell.

This year’s winter basketball season allows for “10 divisional games,” and the “basketball crossover are games optional,” Blackwell said.

For the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association teams, there’s a minimum preseason practice of two weeks, or 10 days, according to Blackwell.

The “basketball playoff seed meeting” is set for March 3, and the “winter season final playdate” is scheduled for March 27, according to Blackwell.

During the meeting’s public comment portion, Elkins Park resident Tanesha Thomas McClain, a parent of a Cheltenham High School basketball player, stressed the importance of allowing students to play and compete.

“For those whom this would be their last or next to last high school season, an opportunity for college coaches to see them play, even if by streaming or video, this decision affects the trajectory of their college careers,” she said in a statement. “The psychological and financial toll on these students would be immeasurable.”

“You always have to balance the pros and cons of every decision that you make, but I feel confident that safety has always been at the center of the information that we’ve been provided.”

— Cheltenham School District School Board Member Julie Haywood