PORT ANGELES — It will be an incredibly busy next few weeks for schools, coaches and athletic districts in anticipation of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association updating the COVID-19 metrics that could allow the return of prep sports as early as February.
The WIAA is expected to discuss updated metrics at an executive board meeting today with possible decisions tonight. Under the metrics developed in 2020 from the WIAA, high-risk sports such as wrestling, football and basketball could not begin with the current infection rates in most of the state.
Port Angeles School District Athletic Director Dwayne Johnson said there is reason to be optimistic that sports and extra-curricular activities can return this school year.
“We’re creating hope that there’s going to be participation,” Johnson said.
Sequim Athletic Director Dave Ditlefsen said schools right now are in a “wait-and-see mode” as far as the WIAA.
“We expect a lot of information to come out of that meeting,” Ditlefsen said.
“I think there’ll be a decision this week, and then early next week we’ll have a conference call of athletic directors to see what we can do and where do we go from here,” Ditlefsen said.
Johnson stressed, however, that his No. 1 goal at this point is to bring high school students back to in-person learning first. PASD is returning K-6 students to a hybrid model of in-person learning beginning Monday and the PASD board is discussing a plan to bring back older students at its Jan. 14 meeting.
“Getting students back on campus is our primary focus,” he said.
However, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a mandate a few weeks ago allowing schools to have in-person instruction with much higher infection rates. That order did not address athletics or extra-curricular activities.
“The governor’s order didn’t apply to athletics, but it opened the door for discussing it,” Ditlefsen said.
In anticipation for action from the WIAA, Johnson said the North Olympic League will meet Sunday, the board of the West Central District III will meet on Monday, the Olympic League 2A athletic directors and the Washington Association of School Administrators athletic directors will both meet Jan. 14 to discuss whatever plan the WIAA comes up with.
Johnson said a couple of different proposals are being floated for sports seasons. One is sticking to the WIAA’s original plan of three shortened fall, winter and spring seasons beginning on Feb. 1 and running into early June with some of the sports considered high risk — football, wrestling and basketball — possibly moving into the late spring when COVID-19 infection rates are hoped to be lower than they are now. Another proposal being discussed would only have two seasons of sports, one from Feb. 8 to April 9 and the second from April 12 to June 12 with no postseason.
“Kids would have to make some decisions,” if there are only two sports seasons, Johnson said. At a lot of rural schools, many student-athletes play three sports during the school year.
In any case, districts are anticipating changes after today’s WIAA meeting and could be scrambling for the next several weeks if sports are given the go-ahead. That includes getting students eligible, making arrangements with officials, transportation and event staff, all in an extremely short timeline.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Johnson said.
