Fastballing Through The Pandemic
High School Sports Schedules Upended: Here’s The Latest
Story and photos by Reid Neureiter
For the GPHN
The usually crowded stands at Denver East’s home soccer field are empty this fall, as multiple high school team sport seasons have been postponed by the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) due to the pandemic.
In coordination with the Office of the Governor, the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, the state’s COVID-19 Response team, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, CHSAA declared that the 2020-21 season will be played with on a modified schedule, creating four separate sports seasons during the school year.
Traditional fall team sports of football, boys’ soccer, field hockey, gymnastics, and girls’ volleyball – sports that involve close contact or indoor activity – were initially not to be played this fall under the current health guidelines. At press time the only regular fall sports being played were cross country, boys golf, boys tennis, softball and some football. Under the modified schedule, those seasons are to conclude by Oct. 17.
The second sports season, Season B, will begin on Jan. 4 and conclude by March 6. Season B sports include basketball, ice hockey, skiing, spirit, girls’ swimming and wrestling.
Season C, which begins on March 1 and concludes with championships by May 1, includes field hockey, football, gymnastics, boys soccer, unified bowling and girls volleyball. Due to specific equipment and safety concerns, football will begin practice on Feb. 22 and conclude on May 8.
The final sports season, Season D, includes baseball, girls golf, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, girls tennis, boys swimming, track and field and boys volleyball. The final season will begin with practice on April 26 and conclude on June 26.
On Sept. 16, the CHSSA Board of Directors voted to approve variances, permitted by the office of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, to give member schools the local option to play field hockey and football during Season A. Schools will continue to have the option to play these sports in Season C. The variances allow for 50 players, per sideline, to be on the field during a football game. In field hockey, the variance allows for 25 players per sideline, per game.
All participants, including athletes, coaches, match officials, staff, and others, must wear masks while not actively playing – even outdoors. They must also be six feet apart from non-household members on the sidelines, or while not in active play. They may not go into the spectator area.
Other than coaches and umpires wearing masks, and the stands behind home plate being empty of fans (the crowd was relegated to the outfield), the pandemic did not adversely affect East softball’s Lady Angels on Sept. 15 as they defeated DPS rival Kennedy by the score of 12 to 5 on home turf.
Although the Commanders had 11 hits to the Lady Angel’s 6, Kennedy’s four errors, combined with East’s speedy baserunning and numerous steals, resulted in a come-from-behind victory after Kennedy initially went up by three runs to two at the end of the first inning. East’s senior pitcher Katie Cummings closed out the seventh with a strikeout to end the game.
For updates on schedules, activity calendars and game results, check the CHSAA website at chsaanow.com.