Safety comes first

The anxious wait for high school athletic directors, coaches and athletes is over now that the WIAA has released guidance on how to proceed with summer prep sports during the Covid-19 pandemic.

That includes the 30 days of contact allowed for spring sports — seasons that were canceled after Tony Evers’ closed schools until the end of their fiscal year, June 30. Five contact days are allowed for fall and winter sports.

The WIAA, in a 16-page document available at www.wiaawi.org, gives each school district administrator the authority to decide whether to hold summer athletic activities or not.

The North Shore Conference, which includes Port Washington and Grafton, and the Big East Conference, which includes Cedar Grove-Belgium and Ozaukee, said weeks ago they will not sanction activities and will leave the decision up to individual districts.

The WIAA said its goal is to “allow students to participate in scholastic athletics and activities in any and all situations where it can be done safely.”

The organization is aware that some areas have higher infection rates than others, so some schools may be comfortable returning to practices sooner than others.

During practices and games, social distancing, face coverings, frequent sanitization of hands and equipment should be the “new normal,” according to the WIAA.

“This will likely remain in place until a cure, vaccine or very effective treatment is available or so-called ‘herd immunity’ is confidently reached,” the WIAA said.

In “points of emphasis” in the document, the WIAA recommends someone in each district be designated a Covid-19 coach to respond to concerns about the virus.

Cloth face coverings are to be worn. Medical-grade masks are not necessary.

Plastic shields are not allowed during games to prevent injuries.

Coaches, officials and other personnel are “encouraged” to wear cloth face coverings all the time. The WIAA recommends using noisemakers such as air horns or timers with alarms to replace whistles.

Since most athletes have been less physically active than normal the past few months, the WIAA said, it recommends athletic programs have heat acclimatization programs that include slow progressions in activity levels as students adjust to the weather.

Athletes are to bring their own water bottles and not share them. Water fountains and related items should not be used.

Equipment is to be disinfected between uses, and shared equipment is to be used as little as possible. Everyone involved in athletics is to wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer and avoid touching their faces.

High-fives and fist-bumps are not to be given.

People who feel sick, have any symptoms of the virus, including a fever of 100.4 or higher, are suggested to stay home.

Those who are sick should be isolated and transported home or to a health care facility.

The document labels the highest, moderate, low and lowest risk levels in spreading the disease, explaining what conditions fall into each category.

The WIAA said it considers its guidance to be a “living document” that may change based on new information about the virus.

Regardless of safety procedures, “The WIAA believes it is essential to the physical and mental well-being of student-athletes in grades 6 to 12 to return to organized physical activity and build team relationships with their peers and coaches,” the document states.