The GHSA still remains hopeful for high school sports to return in the fall. Among the list of the proposals is a pitch to bring practice back in early July.
Georgia high school sports are still cancelled for the remainder of the season. But the question still remains: When will it be safe enough to come back?
With only 101 days to the start of the 2020 football season, everyone is itching for sports to return like never before.
There are multiple reasons the Georgia High School Association would err on the side of caution when it comes to the return of sporting activities, but football remains one of the key financial pillars of high school sports. The loss of a football season could have major ramifications on school athletic programs as a whole. Many football coaches have been concerned with the idea of starting the season on time without adequate practice time beforehand.
The GHSA said they hope to return as soon as possible and even as early as two months from now.
“We will be looking at local, state, and national information to attempt to make the best decision going forward,” GHSA Executive Director Robin Hines said in a statement. “I am hopeful that we can implement a measured return to training with guidance in June. All of the information needed to make such a decision is not available, but we are working toward this goal. Social distancing, reduced numbers of athletes and coaches per session, disinfecting facilities, as well as standard hygiene practices will certainly be a part of any return to sport training. Again, no decisions have been made at this time.”
One other proposal has been leaked that includes a starting practice time around July 6, which would include five days to acclimate to the weather conditions. These practices would be without pads. After the first week, teams would be able to put on shoulder pads for two weeks, and then it would build into fully padded practices on July 27.
This allows games to return on time on Aug. 21. All fans, players, and coaches would love to have their football back on time. Hines, and the GHSA, seem hopeful for a return as well.
“I am in the process of gathering as much information as possible to narrow down a date that we may be able to begin some type of face-to-face work with our student athletes,” Hines said.
Written by: Kyle Grondin
