As we wait to see how the Arizona Department of Education to reopen schools, and then the Arizona Scholastic Association's plan to bring back sports, I asked some of the Arizona Varsity staff use our very qualified (yes, that is a joke) backgrounds to speculate on what the fall season will look like in Arizona for fans, and those of us that cover the game for a living.
Zach Alvira
"This is a topic I've been thinking about for the last week or so now that Arizona has started opening back up. I have a feeling there will be a limit on the number of fans that are allowed to attend games. I think it would be incredibly hard to tell parents, especially those who have senior players, they can't attend. So, I can see the AIA implementing a policy where only direct family members of players (parents or legal guardians, siblings) are allowed in. Unfortunately, that would mean no student sections or band. When thinking back to some of the bigger schools and how many students usually attend games, it might be the safest option."
"As for the media, I think we may be required to wear masks. Beyond that, I have no idea. Will those, such as myself, without cameras be asked to sit in the stands? Would they require us to essentially remain in one spot even if we were allowed on the sidelines? How would we conduct interviews after games? I think there's a lot of logistics that still need to be worked out."
Eric Newman
"I suppose I don’t know how exactly I’ll act differently. I plan on doing whatever the AIA and school/team officials allow. But, that’s where it gets tricky.
I also don’t believe there is an all-encompassing answer for all sports, locales, levels and more in high school sports specifically. The same precautions that work for cross-country or other outdoor sports can’t be the same as basketball or indoor volleyball or the 70+ kids on a big-school football team. Can you fairly allow some sports to compete while halting others?
What if indoor classes are still suspended and everything is virtual? Can you justify having the kids coming back for regular games and practice at the same campus that is unfit for kids to sit in a classroom? What about the locker rooms that, even at their best, can be cesspools at some schools?"
"Is the answer regular testing? If so, are you expecting the school districts (many of whom were struggling financially far before any of this) to pay for those for the thousands of athletes across the state?
The more you think about it, the more questions arise."
Jason Skoda
"I think we are still in a wait-and-see approach. There is going to be another setback in my opinion because we opened up too early. If so, what happens then? More restrictive guidelines? People are still going to do what they believe is right regardless of what others think. Unfortunately, this is the way most people approach it. Maybe it is different in rural areas like Safford. Not sure.
As far as athletics, it is going to be difficult to come up with the right approach and it will be different for each sport. More contact in football, wrestling, basketball than there is in softball/baseball, badminton, volleyball etc. No team huddles? No high fives? No meeting at home plate to exchange lineups. No checking into scorer's table? No team lines to shake hands? No water coolers at the end of the bench?
Football bleachers will have to have an x marks the spot situation to keep up with social distancing but some schools fill every spot so how is that handled. Only so many people allowed in the gate by August or none at all? That would be so hard."
"As far as my approach - if masks are still expected and the norm then I'd comply. Guessing there may still be hesitation when it comes to shaking hands. I love being on the sidelines for football, but will non-essential people be allowed? Guess we all find out at some point.
As a side note, the proposal we had in our little league softball where there are multiple games that needed to play on the same day is to have teams come into the field from one entrance and exit out the other. No one from second game can come in until everyone is gone from the field.
Players sit in camping chairs outside of the dugout, not in the dugout. Parents only sit in outfield behind fence.
Those are some of the guidelines but not all of them. As it turns out, we are suspending everything until August so those guidelines are on hold for now."
Brett Quintyne
"I can't say that much will change about how I cover a football game this year. We as journalists aren't in the stands mixing with fans and parents so it's different for us. What I will say is the schools/SRO officers/and coaches may have to monitor who gets onto the sidelines. I'll make this perfectly clear, its not an AIA responsibility. It's on the schools. From a struggling 1A classification school to a 6A powerhouse there are always people on the sidelines who aren't working. A friend of an assistant coach who brings his two sons down, an alum of a few years ago and his girl, a dad of a player who wants to be down there. There are countless of examples that we have all seen those are just a few. While the atmosphere of a sideline in a big game is all part of what is usually a great experience, that may need to be curtailed this year for the safety of the athletes and the people who are working the game."
"There is no easy or right answer in this situation. Because we are sports journalists and broadcasters we like to think that sports are the most important part of the education process. I'm not going to argue that point but during a pandemic unfortunately they will slide down the totem poll of importance.
Do I think we will see fall sports? Yes, I do. Will it be different than you ever thought? Yes, I think so. We won't all agree on the guidelines that will be implemented but we have to remember this is about getting student athletes back on the courts and fields to let them have at least a little bit of a normal year."
Ralph Amsden
"Wherever sports are, that's where I'll be. Wherever people aren't standing or sitting at sporting events, that is also where I'll be. I'll adhere to whatever I'm asked by any host school, and I'll take whatever additional precautions I deem necessary to ensure that until the spread of COVID-19 can be combatted by more than just distancing, I'm not putting anyone at an unnecessary risk to be at best, an asymptomatic carrier, and at worst, another victim of this terrible plague.
The best thing the AIA could be doing right now is curating all of the most current information, and most productive ideas that are being produced by its member schools, and disseminating that information to the various athletic directors and principals. I'm not sure why anyone is expecting the AIA to come out with any specific directives, though. The AIA is not going to take the reigns on this, or any other issue for that matter. They're not designed to be an organization that provides guidance and leadership- they follow the guidance of the members that are in positions of influence, and right now the hot potato that no one wants to touch is the distinction of being the person who makes a definitive determination on what to do with extracurricular athletics in the midst of an ever-evolving pandemic.
There are certain things that can be done in the meantime, to better prepare schools for hosting athletic events during these uncertain times. First and foremost, high school sporting events are one of the last holdouts in the migration to a cash-free society. In 2020, there is no reason why a program booster should be handling cash or coins at a ticket window or concession stand. In order to make the move to cashless purchases, some of these schools are going to need to make sure their athletic fields have better connectivity- which brings me to the idea that some of these games in higher-risk areas should simply be streamed anyway.
In the age of Periscope and Facebook Live, someone could put together a rudimentary stream with a cell phone and an internet connection. Even if crowds are limited, there's absolutely no reason why more people shouldn't have access to these games than ever before.
At the end of the day, I think we'll see fall and winter sports. It won't be the same without the pomp and circumstance of the band, cheerleaders, a student section, and a sideline full of dads who were promised they wouldn't have to sit in the bleachers if their son or daughter transferred over, but it'll be something. And if it's there, and we're allowed to be there too, we will be."
