The new rules
With so much uncertainty surrounding the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the Michigan High School Athletic Association does not want to focus on the "when" for the return of high school sports this year.
But the "how" is already being worked out.
On Friday, the MHSAA released a 12-page document detailing a series of new health guidelines and plans to resume athletic activity and live competitions when school resumes.
"The 'when' question continues to be fluid based on direction from state government leadership," MHSAA director Mark Uyl said in the statement. "The 'how' activity can be reopened is outlined in the guidance document. Even though this guidance cannot be implemented until after June 12 at the earliest under the current 'Safer-at-Home' order, we wanted schools to have this information so that local discussion, communication and planning can occur now for future activity."
The MHSAA's plan is a collaborative effort with the National Federation of State High School Associations along with the Sports Medicine Advisory committees of both associations.
It includes a three-step reopening of athletic activity and also new procedures for mandatory health screenings, the use of masks, social distancing, and the sanitization of equipment and facilities. In lieu of a one-size-fits-all proposal from the MHSAA, schools will need to develop their own strategies to maintain a safe atmosphere in accordance with the guidelines.
"It's going to be a challenge," Bedford athletic director Mark German said. "Our first and foremost goal will be to ensure the highest level of safety we can provide. Not only for our students, but the coaches and officials. We've already ordered additional thermometers and we'll stock up on disinfecting wipes. We'll need policy changes on how we store equipment and prepare it for the next day and for games. And student personal hygiene will be more strict.
"But that's just the tip of the iceberg for what we'll have to do to meet the requirements."
Erie Mason athletic director Kelly Trainor said that plans already are underway to meet the new safety rules.
"I am very blessed with supportive coaches as well as our athletic trainers through Mercy Health Partners," Trainor said. "We've already started figuring out a plan, what it will look like and who will be responsible for what. It's almost like a mini-task force for the introduction of sports back into high school."
In order to resume athletic activity, the MHSAA's three-step plan will take its cues from both state and federal health officials. Each step of the plan will slowly allow more activity – from workouts, to practices, to live games – based on a risk level designated to each sport and the threat level posed by the virus.
"We're still kind of in the waiting mode right now to get the all clear, but we've been gathering our thoughts on how we'll go about it," German said. "Each district's policy might look a little different depending on location and the number of infections it has. We'll also rely on our athletic trainer and our medical personnel to guide us and advise us on how to proceed and make sure we're following each step."
Football, one of the fall season's most popular sports, is one of the few that the MHSAA has designated as "high risk."
High risk sports are those "that involve close, sustained contact between participants, lack of significant protective barriers, and high probability that respiratory particles will be transmitted between participants."
In addition to football, wrestling, boys lacrosse, and girls competitive cheer are also included in that category.
Moderate risk sports include basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, gymnastics, bowling, ice hockey, tennis, swimming relays, pole vault, high jump, long jump, girls lacrosse, and 7-on-7 football.
Low risks sports, with natural social distancing and lack of shared equipment, include individual running events, throwing events (such as shot-put and discus), individual swimming, golf, weightlifting, alpine skiing, sideline cheer (with no contact stunts), and cross country.
The MHSAA added that volleyball, baseball, softball, gymnastics, pole vault, high jump, long jump, tennis and bowling could be considered low risk with strong cleaning measures and the use of masks by the athletes.
"I do believe that the MHSAA had to separate the sports out," Trainor said. "They're just so vastly different and I feel the MHSAA did a good job with that. But that does mean those high-impact sports, the collision sports, will be the last to participate. That puts a lot of questions out there. ... I'm sad for what it could mean for our fall athletes."
It is not just the high-risk collision sports, such as football, that Trainor is concerned about. While volleyball is considered to be a moderate risk, the MHSAA's plan could impose significant restrictions and jeopardize the start of the season.
The first step of the plan details the best practices that schools will need to follow throughout each step in regards to health screenings and sanitization.
During step one, no sports will be allowed to return to regular practices and any workouts would have to follow strict rules. No teams will be allowed to have gatherings of more than 10 people, locker rooms will be off limits, and no athletes will be allowed to share or exchange any equipment without proper sanitization between each use.
Those rules will have a deep effect on how athletes train.
For example, in volleyball, players would not be able to hit balls back and forth with each other. In football, players would not be allowed to share tackling dummies or sleds. And wrestlers, tennis players, and basketball players would only be allowed to complete solo drills.
"It seems impossible to me," Trainor said. "Volleyball. The word 'volley' means back and forth. I think it's pretty impossible for volleyball with only one person able to touch the ball. ... They walk into a gym and there's a basket of volleyballs and everybody grabs a ball to warm up. That won't be able to happen until we get further into opening up."
When allowed to move to step two, schools will be permitted to use locker rooms as long as social distancing guidelines are followed, and gathering sizes could be expanded based on state recommendations.
Step two also allows low-risk sports to resume practices and competitions, while moderate-risk sports can start modified practices.
Step three would open up full practices and competitions for moderate-risk sports along with modified practices for high-risk sports.
Whether or not high-risk sports can resume competitions will be judged on "epidemiology data" and the "experiences in other states and government or health department directives."
With the fall sports season just around the corner, Trainor is concerned that any delay in advancing to step two and three could mean the cancelation of the entire season.
"The biggest fear is that there will be no fall sports," Trainor said. "I appreciate the guidelines they've given us, but the biggest fear is that they will just say no."
In addition to the three-step approach, the MHSAA will require schools to maintain social distancing when traveling to events and recommends that some schools may need to use multiple buses or alternative means of travel.
Social distancing also must be adhered to on the sidelines and benches, and also in the stands whenever spectators are allowed to return. Until restrictions on gatherings are relaxed, only athletes, coaches, officials, event staff, medical staff, security, and media will be allowed at competitions.
"I know everybody is eager to play, but they're also fully aware of the dangers associated with it under the current conditions," German said. "There's just a lot we don't know yet and we'll have to take it one step at a time. We want to get out and do something, but safety will always be the No. 1 priority."
The MHSAA also warns that any spike in infections or any confirmed COIVD-19 cases at different schools could result in the cancelation of games or sections of the season and postseason.
But German does not want to get lost in worrying about the unknown.
"Over the past few months we've grown accustomed to how fluid the situation is," he said. "In March when we shut down, we had never experienced anything like that before. Something that was never on my radar was a pandemic. But now that we've experienced it, we'll be more prepared for that and we'll appreciate it more when we can play.
"We won't take it for granted anymore."
