The Ohio High School Athletic Association on Thursday released further information on an amended spring sports season.
OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass sent a memo to school administrators Wednesday detailing a new plan. That information was shared with the media through a press release Thursday.
“If the governor and Ohio Department of Health deem it safe to reopen school facilities in early May, then we will have a shortened spring sports season that extends into June,” said OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass in a memo to school administrators. “I commend our sports administration staff for putting the schedules together working on state tournament sites.”
The memo also revealed that if school closures are extended pass May 1, updated information would be provided later. If school facilities don’t reopen at all this school year, there will not be a 2020 spring sports season.
“We continue to applaud each of you for helping provide guidance and leadership to your coaches and your efforts to keep students engaged,” Snodgrass wrote in the memo. “This crisis has heightened the awareness that students want to be back in the classroom. Teachers want students back in the classroom. In our solid belief that school-based athletic programs are an extension of the classroom, we hold that same belief for our student-athletes and coaches. Getting kids back with coaches is much more than winning and we feel it a vital part of returning life to normalcy.” Wednesday’s memo laid out a new schedule of competition for each spring sport.
If there are no further postponements to the school year, the acclimation period for baseball and softball will be May 4-8. Teams will then be allowed to begin their seasons May 9.
The sectional tournaments will be staggered, with baseball running May 23-30 and softball running May 30-June 6. District baseball tournament games will be play June 1-6 and softball districts will be conducted June 8-13. Regional tournaments will be June 11-12 for baseball and June 15-20 for softball
The tentative date for the state baseball tournament is June 19-21, pending the availability of Akron Canal Park. The state softball tournament would be June 25-27 at Akron Firestone Stadium.
For track and field, the acclimation period will be May 4-8, with the season slated to start May 9. The district meets will be conducted June 9-13, the regionals will be June 17-20 and the state meet will be June 26-27.
Because the athletic facilities at Ohio State University will not be available in June, the state track and field meets would be split over three sites, according to divisions. Division I athletes will compete at Hilliard Darby, Division II will be at Pickerington North and Division III will be at Westerville North.
Boys tennis will follow the same acclimation and starting schedule as baseball, softball and track and field. The sectional tournaments will be May 30-June 6, the district tournaments will be June 8-13 and the state tournament will be June 18-20.
Scheduling athletic contests during a shorter season could result in a challenge for athletic directors. Riverside AD Rod Yoder said the first focus will be to get league games in.
“For our conference, we only play one round of league games, so it should make it a little easier for us to get in a league season and have a league champion,” said Yoder. “If weather cooperates and we have open dates, we will try to squeeze in as many non-conference games as we can.”
The no-contact period for coaches and their athletes remains in place through May 1. Coaches are permitted to have electronic communication with their players.
“I have encouraged all of our coaches to keep in communication with their teams,” said Yoder. “Our football coach (Bryce Hodge) has done a Zoom conference with his athletes. I definitely think it’s good to stay in contact with our athletes while we remain in this holding pattern.”