OLYMPIA — The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association on Monday approved a process for regions to determine the status of prep seasons during the 2020-21 season while following COVID-19 guidelines.
The WIAA board determined that in order for a season to take place, 50 percent of the schools in a WIAA region must be eligible to participate in league games, following the state Department of Health COVID-19 guidelines. If fewer than 50 percent of schools are able to compete in specific sports due to an elevated infection rate, the board will make adjustments to the scheduled season in order to allow the chance for teams to play.
The WIAA will monitor the eligibility of schools bases on the number of cases reported in their counties.
The infection rate Tuesday in Clallam County was listed at 28 per 100,000 over the past two weeks, while in Jefferson County, it was listed at 25.1 per 100,000 over the same time period. That is considered moderate, but it is on the low end of moderate. Anything below 25 per 100,000 is considered low risk.
Getting below 25 per 100,000 is necessary to allow sports designated high risk to proceed. In the winter season set to begin in late December, that includes basketball and wrestling. Boys’ swimming, also a winter sport, is considered low risk and could go ahead at the current infection rate.
However, the infection rate in Kitsap County is 42.9 per 100,000 and Pierce County is 128 per 100,000. Mason County is 67 per 100,000. Those are all too high at the moment to allow basketball or wrestling to start. Schools in Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend play league schools in those counties.
Each sport will conclude with a WIAA regional event during the final week of the season. The minimum requirement to hold a regional event is eight participating schools within a single classification. If a classification cannot meet that requirement, it has the option to combine with another classification.
To change a scheduled sport season, staff will be expected to provide a preliminary update to the WIAA four weeks before the start of a season, showing the percentage of eligible schools in a region and in each classification. If a sport is below the 50 percent figure, staff is expected to provide notice for an adjusted season.
Once a season begins, it should continue to the end of the season without delays, suspensions or restarts, according to the WIAA.
