The start of Season B sports has been delayed, following communication between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado High School Activities Association late Sunday night.
This change also affects the planned start of Seasons C and D, which have also been delayed.
Locally, the change impacts boys and girls wrestling, girls and boys basketball, and spirit. (Other Season B sports are girls swimming and diving, hockey, and boys and girls skiing.)
Yuma High School coaches expressed frustration at the further delay.
“It’s starting to get old, and I feel really bad for the kids at this point,” Yuma High School girls basketball coach Jeremy Robinson told the Pioneer. “We seem to get a plan, get excited, then get the rug jerked out.”
Boys coach Dave Sheffield said: “We are in a difficult situation where kids can’t trust what is being set before them. These kids see all of the states around us playing, and had accepted the late start date, just to have that pulled from them”
The Pioneer also heard back from YHS wrestling coach Kyle Newton: “I think sports and live competitions are important for kids to be involved with, and if they do not have that, then there is not as much pressure or motivation to keep grades up.”
In a letter sent to CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green, CDPHE indicated that Season B would not be permitted to begin on January 4, as had been scheduled on the CHSAA 2020-21 sports calendar. CDPHE further said that no variances will be given to CHSAA sports at this time.
In the letter, Jill Hunsaker Rye, Executive Director of the CDPHE wrote, “The COVID-19 pandemic has reached an all time high in terms of disease transmission both in Colorado and around the nation. The Colorado School of Public Health estimates that 1 in 40 Coloradans are currently infectious. Hospital admissions are steadily increasing, and the past six weeks have produced a significant increase in the number of deaths statewide. With the Thanksgiving holiday just behind us and the impending December holiday festivities, we are very concerned that the rate of transmission will continue to increase.
“At this time, we do not have enough information about what disease incidence and hospitalization capacity will look like in January, and therefore are unable to make a determination regarding indoor high school athletics in Season B. Season B high school sports would operate based on the restrictions in the level of the Dial in the county in which the school resides. For counties in Level Red, this means no indoor group sports are authorized.”
“We welcome an ongoing conversation regarding the indoor requests at a future date as more schools safely open their indoor facilities for students.”
As a result, CHSAA is proposing a February 1 start date for Season B. CHSAA, CDPHE and Gov. Jared Polis’ COVID Response Team, plan to meet again mid-January to continue the discussion around variances for Season B, and reassess COVID-19 data at that time. Variances will not be considered prior to that date.
Specifics for each sport will be communicated upon variance approval from the CDPHE.
County health department and school districts will determine open gym policies, per state guidance.
The bottom line is CHSAA is proposing practice for wrestling and basketball to begin January 25, with competition running February 1 to March 20. It would shorten the season by one week, with a shorter window for preseason practice.
It also would push back the remaining sports seasons, including girls volleyball in Season C, and baseball, track and field, and girls golf in Season D.
Season C would begin practice on March 15 with competition from March 22 to May 8. Season D would begin practice May 3, and competition May 10 to June 26. Girls golf, however, would be April 19 to June 22.
