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OHSAA Has A Spring Sports Plan Ready, If Schools Reopen

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has a plan for spring sports if Ohio schools reopen in May. [Amherst Steele Track & Field]
OHSAA has a plan for spring sports of Ohio schools reopen in May. [Amherst Steele Track & Field]

The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) unveiled a plan Wednesday to resume spring sports – if Gov. Mike DeWine decides to reopen schools in early May.

The governor’s current school closure order expires on May 1, with classes resuming May 4. In the update sent to Ohio high schools, OHSAA said the May 4 start is optimistic, but its plan would allow spring sports seasons to begin as early as May 9.

Post-season tournaments would start a few weeks later and most state tournaments would end in late June, a far shorter-than-usual regular season.

But a short season is better than no season at all, said Brian Fantone, athletic director for the Twinsburg City School District.

“I’m really happy that the OHSAA has taken the stance of doing every possible thing that they can to try to preserve at least a part of that for these kids and not just saying a month ago, ‘Hey, we’re done with spring sports. That’s not going to happen’,” Fantone said.

Steele High School in Amherst hosts one of the biggest high school track and field meets in Ohio: The Comet Relays. Steele Athletic Director Casey Wolf said the one-day event hosts 1,200-1,500 student-athletes every year.

The update from OHSAA not only provides some clarity to athletic departments as they plan for any potential competitions, Wolf said, but it also offers a “glimmer of hope” that student-athletes might actually get to compete at some point this year.


If Amherst Steele High School is able to host the 2020 Comet Relays, it would mark 65 years of the track and field meet. [Amherst Steele Track & Field]

“You want their high school experience to be everything they wanted it to be,” Wolf said. “That’s the hard part that myself and our coaches are dealing with right now is, you know, we want them to walk away knowing that they had a tremendous experience.”

OHSAA will cancel spring sports if schools remain closed for the rest of the school year, which Fantone says would leave him “heartbroken for the senior athletes.”

“These kids have worked so hard their whole lives to get to this moment,” he said. “My first initial thought would just be those kids and the fact that they don’t get to experience that again.”

Spring sports for Ohio high schools include softball, baseball, tennis, track and field and lacrosse. Each sport has a slightly different schedule under the adjusted OHSAA plan.

BASEBALL

Non-Interscholastic Date

May 4

Acclimation Period

May 4-8

Season Begins

May 9

Tournament Entry/Withdrawal

May 11

Tournament Entry/Withdraw w/penalty

May 12-15

Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting

May 17

Sectional Tournaments*

May 23-30

District Tournaments

June 1-6

Regional Tournaments

June 11 & 12

State Tournament

June 19-21

Season Concludes

June 27

* Sectional competition shall NOT begin earlier than the date provided.

 

SOFTBALL

Non-Interscholastic Date

May 4

Acclimation Period

May 4-8

Season Begins

May 9

Tournament Entry/Withdrawal

May 18

Tournament Entry/Withdraw w/penalty

May 19-22

Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting

May 24

Sectional Tournaments*

May 30-June 6

District Tournaments

June 8-13

Regional Tournaments

June 15-20

State Tournament

June 25-27

Season Concludes

July 4

* Sectional competition shall NOT begin earlier than the date provided.

 

LACROSSE

Non-Interscholastic Date

May 4

Acclimation Period

May 4-8

Season Begins

May 9

Tournament Entry/Withdrawal

May 18

Tournament Entry/Withdraw w/penalty

May 19-22

Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting

May 25

Regional Qualifying

May 26-30

Regional Quarterfinals

June 1-4

Regionals

June 4-7

State Semi-Finals

June 8-10

State Finals

June 13

Season Concludes

June 13

 

TENNIS

Non-Interscholastic Date

May 4

Acclimation Period

May 4-8

Season Begins

May 9

Tournament Entry/Withdrawal

May 18

Tournament Entry/Withdraw w/penalty

May 19-22

Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting

May 24

Sectional Tournament*

May 30-June 6

District Tournament

June 8-13

State Tournament

June 18-20

Season Concludes

June 27

* Sectional competition shall NOT begin earlier than the date provided.

 

TRACK & FIELD

Non-Interscholastic Date

May 4

Acclimation Period

May 4-8

Season Begins

May 9

Tournament Entry/Withdrawal

May 25

Tournament Entry/Withdraw w/penalty

May 26-29

Tournament Draw/Coaches Meeting

May 31

District Tournament

June 9-13

Regional Tournament

June 17-20

State Tournament

June 26-27

Season Concludes

June 27

 

Gabriel Kramer is a reporter/producer and the host of “NewsDepth,” Ideastream Public Media's news show for kids.