Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Lt. John Husted had a potential playbook for a high school football season on his iPad on Wednesday afternoon.
But he and Ohio Gov. Mike Devine was not yet ready for kickoff.
A day after the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association released a 38-page season proposal that addressed health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, Devine was asked twice about fall sports, including football. Was.
“I know everyone would like to know,” Devine said at a news conference. “Everyone would love to make a prediction. But, our declining sporting ability – all the sports we want to see – our ability to go back to school safely, it really depends on what we’re going to do in the next doubles Going. Of the week. And so we have to make everyone wear masks. “
related: What we know (and don’t know) about the upcoming OHSAA Fall Sports season
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August 1 is the start of the official Ohio High School Athletic Association Fall Sports practice.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Devin said. “I cannot predict. But, it is in our hands what we will do in the next few weeks.”
The OHSAA sent a memorandum to member schools after Devin’s news conference that served as a “return to play” guidance document.
“The COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic has presented OHSAA with a myriad of challenges,” said OHSAA’s interim executive director Bob Goldring.
The guidance document, Goldring said, received support from the OHSAA Board of Directors and support from the Ohio Joint Advisory Committee on Sports Medicine, the National Federation of State High School Associations, the Ohio Department of Health as well as Husted’s office.
The memorandum included return-to-play recommendations, student-athlete acknowledgment / pledge forms and recommendations and / or considerations for the sport every fall.
“OHHSA fully intends to support its member schools and student-athletes who wish to compete in intercostalistic athletics and will continue to assess all areas when more information is available,” Goldushing said. Goldring he said.
The boys and girls golf teams are to begin their season 5 with girls tennis from August 7.
This was followed by boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball and field hockey (August 21) as well as football and boys and girls cross country (August 24).
Three of OHSAAA’s fall sports have already been announced by DeWine as low contact, including boys and girls golf, girls tennis, and volleyball. Those games may compete between schools and are currently scheduled for their respective season.
Cross country, field hockey, football and football have not yet been approved by the Governor for regular competitions between schools.
Devine addressed a question that was specific to the proposal of the State Football Coaches Association.
“We’re going to give them additional guidance based on what we’re seeing in Ohio,” Dwain said. “Before we do that we’re in talks with them. We’re not ready to announce that yet. Look, everyone’s worried about young people, worried about contact sports.”
Husted acknowledges that the Governor’s Office has looked at the Koch Association proposal.
“They’ve done some great work, very useful to inform our conversation, so thank them,” he said.
Devine said the governor’s office would be in consultation with schools and coaches.
“Whatever games they are, we know how important they are,” Devine said. “But, frankly, we’ve become a little closer over time. We know the training is going on. We know the exercises are happening. We understand the timeline. But, we want to see where we are. Huh.” We need to get a little closer before making any kind of decision before that. ‘
OHSAA has 815 member high schools and 760 seventh to eighth grade schools in the association for this upcoming 2020-21 school year.
The OHSAA represents more than 350,000 students in 26 sanctioned sports – 13 for boys and 13 for girls.
Ohio is the fourth largest state for high school sports participation behind California, Texas and New York.
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