In a statement on June 12, CIF Southern Section Commissioner of Athletics Rob Wigod made what could be considered a heartfelt declaration.
“The message I want to convey to all of you is that we are totally committed to having fall, winter and spring sports during the 2020-21 school year,” Wigod said.
He just didn’t say “when,” which is precisely the answer most want but few should expect to receive in the near future. With the COVID-19 pandemic having disrupted the situation, the CIF state office and 10 section commissioners recently held a teleconference and discussed at length “various scenarios that relate to fall sports,” according to Wigod. All officials agreed to have an announcement regarding fall athletics no later than Monday, July 20.
“That is what we have been told,” said David Irie, San Marino High School’s director of athletics. “That announcement will be very important.”
SMHS had tabbed Monday, July 27, as a possible start date for fall sports, but very little is certain these days.
Where facts have been scarce, speculation has run rampant. Two possible alternate scenarios have emerged in the event a standard high school sports calendar is deemed impractical. One, called the inversion model, would flip the standard fall and spring sports calendars while keeping the familiar winter season. This would allow for a full football campaign, which is the largest moneymaker of all high school sports.
Another model, which apparently has been gaining support of late, would allow for three individual sports seasons of approximately two months each, beginning in January and finishing at the end of May. Under that scenario, teams would play few, if any, non-league games and could possibly overlap with one of the other sports seasons. The sports would follow the standard fall-winter-spring chronology under this plan. Irie confirmed that this option has been discussed by officials, but pointed to the upcoming announcement for direction.
In the meantime, SMHS teams continue remote or socially distanced training. The school’s cross-country teams can be seen each weekday afternoon putting in their paces on Oxford Road.
The decision to resume physical activities ultimately falls on local school districts, boards of education and heads of private schools.
The CIF Sports Medicine Advisory Committee developed a 10- page Return to Activity guideline to assist schools and districts as they begin to open campuses and allow student-athletes to resume training. Committee members also stressed the importance of a physical examination prior to participation in practices.
The California high school athletics governing board also granted a waiver of bylaw 207, which allows a student to transfer to a new school during the first semester of the 2020-21 year because of financial difficulties. Parents or guardians must submit a letter from an employer or former employer stating they were either laid off, received a reduction in salary or terminated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When transferring from a private school, parents or guardians need documentation from the school’s administration showing their effort to obtain financial assistance from the institution and also showing that the aid offered was insufficient or that assistance was denied.
