Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
RENTON –– The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) set the rules for winter sports and made it clearer what it takes to have a season.
Making plans to hold regional finishing events, instead of state tournaments, the WIAA will require eight teams to be eligible in a single classification of a region to have a postseason.
If a classification does not have enough teams eligible, the leftover schools may join another level in their region.
The WIAA executive board met Nov. 2, laying out the changes.
For a winter season to start, the WIAA and Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will require at least half of the schools in a region to be eligible, as determined by state virus metrics.
If less than half of teams are cleared to play, the WIAA will look to move the season to another part of the year – hoping for greater participation later.
“We’re still trying to find ways of making sure kids get to participate in the sports they want to participate in,” said Ken Lindgren, WIAA board member and longtime Oakesdale athletic director, teacher and coach. “If we have to get into canceling, that may be their favorite sport.”
The final decision on the winter season is set for Dec. 7, three weeks before its scheduled start.
No sports seasons were held in the state last fall, which would have been Season 1.
Looking at Season 2, Lindgren suggested it is likely to be a mix of activity and non-activity with some regions playing certain sports.
Individual schools’ participation will be decided by their athletic directors and superintendents.
With the latest virus numbers, locally and statewide, risk factors go up for the start of basketball and wrestling in Season 2.
“The chances of them playing at that time, right now, are pretty slim,” said Lindgren.
Whitman County may be unique as DOH decisions will be based on the a risk assessment “dashboard.”
“We could be shutdown if we don’t get some leeway because of our area. Because of WSU,” said Lindgren.
He noted one possibility being floated.
“Can we play these games and the contestants are wearing masks?” he asked.
Mick Hoffman, WIAA executive director, confers daily with the DOH.
“If the latest science says it can allow kids to play, we’ll do it,” said Casey Johnson, sports and activities information director for the WIAA. Johnson noted that volleyball with masks could drop a moderate-risk sport to the low-risk category.
Other ideas offered by the WIAA board are as follows:
• Fall sports would be Dec. 28-Feb. 28 (except football)
• Spring sports to remain March 1 – May 2
• Winter sports plus football going April 26-June 27
Another idea is to move to only two, 10-week seasons, the first being Feb. 1 – April 11 for fall sports, plus alternates.
The second season would be for winter and spring sports, April 12-June 20. This plan would bring the question of whether a student would be allowed to play two sports at once.
“How many multi-sport athletes do you have in Whitman County at 1B/2B?” Lindgren said. “In the spring you’ve got basketball versus baseball, softball versus volleyball and both of those against track.”
In risk assessment, basketball, wrestling and football are all deemed “high risk.”
The WIAA timeline for these decisions goes from the next board meeting, Nov. 17, to a preliminary update for season two Nov. 27, then Dec. 4 for decision day on season two. Dec. 11 would be regional commitment day.
“Can this region go?” asked Lindgren.
Once a call is made, regions are allowed to appeal, as well as leagues.
Athletic directors around the state were surveyed Oct. 26-Oct. 29, with 236 responses.
“Our WIAA staff are busting their tail-feathers for us,” Lindgren said.
One of the survey questions was: “At which level should the executive board determine the fate of a sport season?”
Lindgren would not be deciding that in this region.
Don Wilkins, WIAA Southeast District 9 representative, based in Walla Walla, would have more jurisdiction.
“District directors are essentially a governorship, while Ken Lindgren on the board would be like a senator representing the region,” Johnson said.
The board meetings have been on Zoom since March.
“Zoom – that’s a four-letter word in my book anymore,” Lindgren said.
For many of his colleagues across the state, their schools and even full districts are online-only.
This may play a role in the decisions to come when superintendents make final calls on winter sports.
“It’s an unknown,” Lindgren said. “What do you do when you deal with something that’s never been dealt with before?”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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