from Ben Smart, with WFMY TV 2 NEWS…..CLICK HERE to check out the Ben Smart post and to also view the Ben Smart video interview from Latham Park on Sunday evening….
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A group of parents gathered on Sunday to rally for sports at Guilford County Schools to resume practices — or at least feature more prominently in the conversation around the fall 2020 semester.
About 15 parents gathered at Latham Park in Greensboro for about an hour. They discussed their reasons for wanting school sports to resume and handed out flyers featuring mental health resources.
“I think a lot of kids are losing hope. Right now we are struggling with a sense of hopelessness, to be honest with you,” said Stacie Baker, a mother of two high school student athletes who play football and lacrosse. “We are fully aware of what is going on, we just would like when the decisions are being made that sports be taken into consideration.”
Valarie Tutuh, a mother of two student athletes at Grimsley High School, said her kids are also facing challenges coping with the new reality.
“Overall it’s extremely impacted our boys,” Tutuh said. “The ups and downs or the inconsistencies of whether sports will start or not start, or what it would look like, has definitely altered their mood. And given them maybe a lack of hope.”
A GCS spokesperson said Guilford County Schools plans to begin athletic workouts and marching band practices on August 3, pending a review of Guilford County public health data.
CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS
Should athletics practices resume, Brandy Adams, an event organizer and mother, said she supports coronavirus precautions.
“I am one of the parent volunteers that is going to be helping with (coronavirus precautions,” Adams said.
Adams said precautions will include mandatory temperature checks before every practice, workout groups no larger than 15, required mask wearing, social distancing guidelines, restrictions on indoor facility use, and one person at a time allowed to use bathroom facilities.
Members of the movement have organized using a Facebook group called “We Need High School Sports!”
This is the second time group gathered as part of the local movement. On Wednesday about 100 student athletes, parents and coaches rallied at the Guilford County Schools Administrative office.
from David Kehril at the Burlington Times-News:
David Kehrli
@DavidKehrliTN
Eastern Alamance football coach / AD John Kirby: “I think (the NCHSAA) is just trying to give hope to everybody. My wife heard me say this: I feel like I’m kicking a can. We give our players a date and then we get pushed. I think they’re kind of numb to it now.”
David Kehrli
@DavidKehrliTN….The Burlington Times-News
River Mill Academy has called off its fall sports seasons due to COVID-19 concerns…..
“It’s a tough decision, there’s no question about it. We’re in a crazy time and we’re not really sure what’s going to really happen all across the state.”
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Director of Athletics John Sullivan said, the state’s city and county athletics directors were awaiting guidance from the NCHSAA on what to do next. He said he hoped his district wasn’t left with the choice.
“We want to hear from them as to what it is we’re supposed to do — we’re allowed to do,” Sullivan said. “If they leave it up to us, it’s going to be anarchy.
“I mean, that’s good for the one-school counties. But that’s not good for the large urban areas.”
The area’s smaller counties weren’t ravaged by the pandemic like Forsyth and Guilford — 9,069 COVID-19 cases combined overall, according to Friday’s data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The high country regions of Ashe, Wilkes and Alleghany have 822 cases — 60 between ages 0 to 17. According to Que Tucker(NCHSAA Commissioner), further moves to craft a plan will apply state-wide, despite the outbreak’s contrasting numbers…..
*****Above information from Patrick Ferlise, with the Winston-Salem Journal*****
In what world is it ok that we are not in school, but playing high school sports?
@Why??? It’s the same world where kids are not in school until mid-August every year, yet are allowed to work out all summer (and play for club teams, 7-on-7s, etc) then start practicing Aug. 1. That part is nothing new, and you’d probably know that if you’d been paying attention.
It’s also the same world where a number of high school students take classes online (usually Early or Middle College stuff through Guilford, A&T, UNCG or GTCC) without ever setting foot in the classroom as juniors or seniors and still play sports.
If you’re asking whether it’s safe to have sports amid a COVID-19 pandemic, that’s another question with a very different answer. But that’s not the one you asked, and it has nothing to do with whether kids are physically in school or not.
workout groups no larger than 15, required mask wearing
From what we were told this is not true. We (coaches) were told that each group has a maximum of 25. That number includes coaches. So, if 2 coaches are present there can be 23 players. That we can use 2 separated fields at the same time. So, with 2 coaches at each field there can be 23 players at each field, We can also have a second group coming in 90 minutes later. In other words we can have a group practicing at 8 AM for 90 minutes and a second group practicing at 10 AM until 11:30. That would give the 8 AM group time to leave campus before the second group comes in. The 6 feet social distancing and the face mask requirements are correct. Other rules are temperature check, they must furnish their own rides to the work outs and rides back home as well as bring their own water battles and towels. Several other rules as well.