OSSAA Board Rejects New Plan, High School Activities to Restart Normally

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association made a big splash across the state on Friday, May 22, when the OSSAA’s board of directors voted to reject the organization’s three-phase plan for sports and activities to return with COVID-19 restrictions on June 1.

In a special board meeting held virtually on Friday morning over Zoom, the OSSAA board of directors voted down the motion by a 7-6 margin against the proposal.

Here is an in-depth look at the three-phase proposal that the OSSAA’s board of directors voted against. Instead, schools will return to unrestricted activities beginning on June 1 if they choose to do so.

Phase 1: June 1 - June 28

On June 1, OSSAA member school coaches may have face-to-face contact with secondary level students using special provisions. No practice or activity-specific instruction, or camps, clinics or leagues may be conducted. Strength and conditioning is permitted.

Everyone must have their temperature checked upon arrival. Anyone with a temperature higher than 100.4 must be sent home. Hands must be washed and hand sanitizer used before touching any equipment. Locker rooms and bathrooms must be sanitized before and after use each day.

There will be a two-person maximum at any piece of equipment, and the spotter must wear a mask. All groups must be at least 6 feet apart, with the total number of people in the weight room complying with 6 feet between each group. Hands must be washed every 30 minutes, and activities using weights, balls, bats, helmets and more must be disinfected every 30 minutes.

Coaches must wear face masks and no personal equipment, like bottles, towels and gloves, are permitted.

There will be no one-on-one scrimmaging, no infield or outfield drills and batting practice must only be live pitch with no catcher or from hitting from a tee.

Phase 2: June 29 - July 31

No camps, clinics or leagues may be conducted. Activity-specific instruction may begin.

All participants must comply with social distancing measures. No activity will be longer than 60 minutes. Football practice can be held if it is noncontact only.

Noncontact is defined as the only protective equipment used is helmets, players shall not participate in drills that are designed to cause direct contact with another person. Training devices like air and stand-up dummies, tackling wheels or blocking shields may be used.

Intrasquad scrimmages will be allowed and tryouts will be permitted.

On July 15, unrestricted practice may begin for band, cross country, fall baseball, fastpitch softball and volleyball.

Phase 3: August 1

Practices may continue for band, cross country, fall baseball, fastpitch softball and volleyball. All other activities shall stop specific instruction.

After the OSSAA’s proposal failed to pass, individual schools will not be required to have any social distancing guidelines or other COVID-19 restrictions in place

Since no sports are currently in season, this decision applies to the likes of summer leagues, camps, clinics, conditioning and weight training.

With normal policies back in place, the original required OSSAA dead week period that was scheduled this summer from June 27 -July 5 will be active unless the OSSAA decides to make changes at its June 9 board meeting.

Be sure to check out future editions of The Watonga Republican and The Geary Star for more Eagles’ and Bison varsity sports updates, while more information regarding the upcoming 2020-21 school year will be posted consistently on the Watonga Public Schools and Geary Public Schools official websites and Facebook pages.

Andrew Salmi can be reached at Sports@WatongaRepublican.com