Will GHSA sports return this summer? Here’s what officials are saying.
The Georgia High School Association is optimistic about a potential return of high school football this summer and beyond.
While there is no concrete plan to report, as the situation is ever-changing, Executive Direction Robin Hines told the Ledger-Enquirer Wednesday that GHSA is hopeful that offseason practices could return in a modified fashion.
“We continue to see numbers with regard to COVID-19 to get better on a daily basis,” Hines said. “So, we’re feeling really good and hopeful about that.”
For GHSA’s purposes, the end of the school year would be May 31. At that time — or hopefully before then, Hines said — the governing body will have enough information to make concrete decisions on a “measured return to athletic training and activities.”
Mandatory preseason workouts for football will likely look much different in 2020.
In addition to a standard heat acclimation period for players, a separate acclimation period for returning to high-intensity training would also likely be required, since the state’s prep football athletes missed out on spring practice and optional summer workouts.
“Most of our athletes, at this time of year, they’ve been through spring practice, they’ve been in the weight room for the whole semester,” Hines said. “We’ve missed all that time, so there’s going to be a training curve that we’ve got to look at.”
Restrictions will likely be put into place regarding the limit of people in one spot. An example Hines referred to was nine athletes and one coach for a weight room session.
After that group finishes its 45-minute session, a 15-minute disinfecting period would take place before another group entered.
The GHSA canceled all sports and activities until further notice on April 2. No practices or activities are currently allowed until further notice.
Hines said the organization is aiming for a June start date, though he made it clear that the situation could change.
If the training acclimation period takes place in early June, followed by the June 28 through July 4 dead week, it would be “business as usual,” Hines said, starting July 5. No formal decisions regarding an official plan or timeline have been made as of Wednesday.
The 2020 season is currently scheduled to kick off Aug. 21.
“I’m chomping at the bit just like (coaches and athletic directors) to get going and all that,” Hines said. “But, for lack of a better term, we’re going to have to pace ourselves as we move forward. We want to make sure that we prevent as many injuries and those sorts of things as we can.
“We want to keep the kids safe from a virus standpoint.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Will GHSA sports return this summer? Here’s what officials are saying.."
