An update on the 2020-21 season from the CHSAA office
We are encouraged by the recent guidelines from the Governor’s office that align with the Association’s plans to resume all education-based athletics and activities for the 2020-21 school year.
The CHSAA associate and assistant commissioners are proceeding with guidelines and standards for resuming fall sports on their scheduled start dates.
The recent “Safer at Home” and “Protect our Neighbors” guidelines from the state have provided our staff with more flexibility to construct regular season, postseason and contingency plans for fall programs.
All sport-specific plans will have the oversight and review of the CHSAA’s sports medicine advisory committee, which includes mental health professionals, before they are released to the membership for implementation.
As our educational leaders work diligently to construct their “Return to Learn” models, our staff is preparing to adjust and modify our programs to meet the diverse educational platforms that will be introduced this fall.
We are a statewide organization, so our task becomes more complicated when educational and health mandates vary at district levels, much less from county to county. Although we are moving forward, we know that our plans must be flexible and subject to change to provide equitable participation opportunities across the state.
A shutdown in one area, impacting one classification, would send our staff back to the white board. The state and county data, and decisions, are fluctuating so we continue to plan for the knowns of today and the unknowns of tomorrow.
Our primary and only objective, while acknowledging that we are still in the midst of a national pandemic, will be to resume athletics and activities with the safety and well-being of our participants, coaches, officials, staff and school communities in the forefront.
