Roanoke, Va. – The VHSL presented three models for sports in the school year 2020-2021 on Wednesday morning. In the first model, traditional seasons would remain, and the current Covid guidelines would dictate what sports would be played. As we stand today, only cross-country and golf could be contested in the fall. That could change. In model 2, Spring and Fall sports would swap places. Only lacrosse can currently not be played in Virginia due to contact guidelines. That would present scheduling issues that most Athletic Directors have never dealt with.
In VHSL model 3, all three seasons will be compressed into what amounts to about six and a half months. This model probably has the most current support, because it allows for all sports to get some semblance of a season in, and it buys everyone some time to get the virus under control, and schools time to get their education plans in place. But it is clearly the most challenging model for Athletic Directors statewide. Now teams will have only about 60 percent of their schedules, and the window to get those games in will be smaller. All this equates to a nightmare for Athletic Directors who will be tasked with simultaneously shoe-horning all these games into a calendar that will have very little wiggle room.
“Is there going to be guidance from the VHSL? How you take your first date and everybody’s gonna play that, so everybody’s not scrambling again trying to find something -- or is it going to be a mad scramble,” Lord Botetourt Athletic Director Chuck Pound asked.
“We are just trying to figure out who can play --what school systems will allow you to play? We will just try to go day-by-day right now is what we’re looking at,” William Byrd Athletic Director Jason Taylor asked.
Other issues for compressed seasons include field usage and travel, along with possibilities for postseason play. The VHSL Executive Committee is set to meet on Monday morning, July 27th to make a decision on what model will work moving forward.