Borderites athletics will see some return to normalcy, as all four fall sports are back to practicing, but the path to competition remains complicated for most sports.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) fall sports season, which includes football, cross country, volleyball and girls soccer, began February 1 as teams were permitted to practice. Cheerleading practice also started last week.
In compliance with WIAA guidelines, masks must be worn at all times by both athletes and coaches during practices and competitions.
The current WIAA plan called for a seven-week season, with six weeks of competition. Three of the fall sports were supposed to begin competing this week, with football beginning next week, under the WIAA plan, but that cannot happen as the north region remains in Phase 1 of governor Jay Inslee’s “Healthy Washington” plan.
Under current guidelines, only cross county, which is designated by the WIAA as a low-risk sport, may begin competing in Phase 1. Meets can have a maximum of 200 people, including coaches and staff, and spectators are not allowed.
Gabe Bolton, head coach of the Borderites cross country team, said the team would compete in four dual meets, starting this Wednesday against Ferndale, before a virtual league championship in March. The virtual race will be on the team’s own track and they will compare times with other league schools.
The Borderites cross country team held its first practice February 1, Bolton said. Three athletes showed up to the first practice, and Bolton said he expects more to come following approval of athletic paperwork. Other athletes stayed home due to parental concern about Covid-19, Bolton said. All athletes wore masks while running, which Bolton said caused some minor breathing concerns.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to help kids get through this time,” Bolton said. “We may not be competing for medals this season, but we get to interact and have some return to normalcy.”
The Borderites football team was the first to return to practice, when they resumed the week of January 18 for conditioning and six-person football training, head coach Jay Dodd said. Dodd said his athletes are currently broken in groups based on whether they are A week, B week or online-only students.
Girls head soccer coach Gio Quesada said the team, with members who had not seen each other in a year, had its first practice scheduled February 8.
Quesada said the practice will primarily be for fitness rather than soccer-specific drills. He said the practice will be optional, and expects some players will stay home because of virus concerns.
The girls volleyball team started outdoor conditioning January 25, and began indoor practice this week, said head coach Jacquie Smith.
Smith said the team expects to be working in groups of no more than six until the region changes phases. Based upon who has been showing up for conditioning, Smith said she expected to see most of the team during its first week of practices.
With competition likely delayed because Whatcom County hasn’t entered Phase 2 this week, the WIAA seven-week plan will become outdated. The Northwest Athletic Conference (NWC), which includes schools in Whatcom and Skagit counties, has released four additional regional plans for six- and five-week competition periods.
The plans also adjust when spring and winter sports would begin. Plan B completion would be six weeks, and begin for all sports the week of February 15.
The NWC plan can be viewed at bit.ly/3oPdZIy.
This article has been updated to include the proper spelling of Jacquie Smith's last name. We regret the error.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here