COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Lt. Jon Husted had a potential playbook for a high school soccer season on his iPad Wednesday afternoon.
But he and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine were not yet ready for the kickoff.
A day after the Ohio High School Soccer Coaches Association released a 38-page seasonal proposal addressing health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, DeWine was asked twice about sports autumn, including soccer.
“I know everyone would like to know,” DeWine said at a press conference. “Everyone would like predictability. But our ability to have fall sports, all the sports we want to see, our ability to go back to school safely, really depends on what we will do in the next couple of weeks. And so we have to make everyone wear a mask. “
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August 1 is the start of the official fall sports practice for the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” said DeWine. “I cannot predict. But it is in our hands what we will do in the coming weeks.”
OHSAA sent a memorandum to member schools after the DeWine press conference that served as an orientation document for “Playing Again.”
“The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has presented OHSAA with a myriad of challenges,” said OHSAA Acting Executive Director Bob Goldring.
The guidance document, Goldring said, received support from the OHSAA Board of Directors and comments from the Ohio Joint Advisory Committee on Sports Medicine, the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Ohio Department of Health, along with with the support of Husted’s office.
The memorandum included links to the return-to-game recommendations, the student-athlete acknowledgment / commitment form, and the recommendations and / or considerations for each fall sport.
“OHSAA intends to support its member schools and student athletes who want to compete in interscholastic athletics and will continue to evaluate all areas as more information becomes available,” said Goldring.
Boys ‘and girls’ golf teams are slated to start their seasons on August 5 and women’s tennis will begin on August 7.
This is followed by men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and field hockey (August 21) along with soccer and cross-country boys and girls (August 24).
Three of OHSAA’s fall sports have already been declared by DeWine as low contact, including boys’ and girls’ golf, girls’ tennis, and volleyball. Those sports may have competitions between schools and are scheduled for their respective seasons at this time.
Cross country, field hockey, soccer, and football have not yet been approved by the governor for regular competition between schools.
DeWine addressed a specific question in the proposal from the state association of soccer coaches.
“We are going to give them additional guidance based on what we are seeing in Ohio,” DeWine said. “Before we do that, we are going to have conversations with them. We are not ready to announce that yet. Look, they are all concerned about youth, concerned about contact sports.”
Husted acknowledged that the governor’s office has reviewed the proposed coaching association.
“They have done a great job, very helpful in reporting our conversations, so thanks to them,” he said.
DeWine said the governor’s office will be in consultation with schools and coaches.
“Whatever those sports are, we know how important they are,” DeWine said. “But frankly, we have to get a little closer to this on time. We know the training continues. We know that practices have been held. We understand the timeline. But, we want to see where we are.” We need to get a little closer to it. that we can make any kind of decision about it. “
OHSAA has 815 member high schools and 760 seventh through eighth grade schools in the association for this upcoming 2020-21 school year.
OHSAA represents more than 350,000 students competing in 26 sanctioned sports: 13 for boys and 13 for girls.
Ohio is the fourth largest state in sports participation in high school behind California, Texas and New York.
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