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SHSAA COVID Update - Aug 20, 2020

08/21/2020, 8:15am CDT
By Mitch

August 20, 2020

SHSAA - COVID-19 Update

Following the release of the August 13 update to stakeholders, the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association (SHSAA) was contacted by the Education Sector Response Planning Team (RPT) to discuss the Executive decisions impacting the administrative format for SHSAA sanctioned activities as the new school year gets underway. The Executive, acting under their mandate of administering sanctioned sport on behalf of their Members (boards of education, conseils scolaire, registered independent schools, and independent First Nation schools) adjusted the 2020-21 start dates for fall activities in the Policy for Interschool Play and introduced stages for school sport to provide for a gradual and methodical introduction of sport back into the educational setting.

In these everchanging times, the Government of Saskatchewan announced on August 17 that students will be returning to schools on September 8 rather than the week previous. This announcement and the RPT/SHSAA discussions that all educational partner organizations require time to effectively address the curricular and facility needs during school re-opening led to a meeting of the Executive Council on August 19 to further discuss the administrative format for the 2020 SHSAA fall activities. Recognizing their role as a partner in the education sector, the Executive Council passed the following policy changes:

The fall 2020 SHSAA golf season of play has been cancelled. Unfortunately, similar to badminton and track & field in the spring, the pandemic has forced the Executive to cancel a season of play impacting many students who are typically involved in school sport. The Executive believed that the restrictions related to the reopening of schools would not allow for a safe and effective qualification process leading to a provincial championship event. This is very disappointing for SHSAA, the schools, and students that were hoping to participate in a fall golf season. We wish the best to those students and look forward to seeing many of them when the next season of high school golf kicks off on April 12, 2021 in preparation of the fall 2021 championship.

The Executive also adjusted the start dates and stages for the remaining fall activities. Under the current Sports and Activities Guidelines and Public Health Orders, the SHSAA will be able to sanction modified competitions but, at this time, will not be able to provide a playoff structure leading to provincial championships in cross country, soccer, football, or volleyball. The start dates of the other four activities have been adjusted as follows:

Cross Country Sept 28 - Oct 17
Soccer Sept 28 - Oct 31
Football Sept 28 - Nov 14
Volleyball  Oct 13 - Nov 28

 

Statements in the Sports and Activities Guidelines indicate the likelihood of transmission between individuals participating in sport, physical activity and recreation in an indoor setting is significantly higher than in outdoor settings. The delayed start time for indoor activities was considered to allow more time for those school divisions that choose to offer volleyball as part of extra-curricular programming to effectively develop protocols and plans around sanitization and hygiene related to student use of their facilities.

To read the entire document click HERE

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