As Texas school delays grow, Fort Worth coaches fear disrupted seasons are inevitable
High school sports are scheduled to resume in just a few weeks, however, there are growing concerns that fall seasons won’t be able to start on time as the coronavirus pandemic numbers are becoming more sobering for many locales throughout Texas.
No districts in Fort Worth have officially delayed the start of the 2020-21 school year, although in just the last couple of days school districts and counties across the state have started to slide the first day of school — which will be in-person — back by as much as a couple of weeks on the advice of their local health officials.
From locations within major urban areas, such as Austin, Dallas and Houston, to the border communities of El Paso, Hidalgo and Cameron, who have all delayed the start of school, and the fall sports season. No UIL sanctioned games have taken place since mid-March.
Gov. Greg Abbott began reopening Texas in May, and since then several areas of the state have seen a spike in coronavirus. As a whole, the state is one the verge of passing the 300,000 mark for positive coronavirus cases and the death toll has exceeded 3,600.
And it’s not just Texas.
Arizona, Mississippi, New Jersey and West Virginia have delayed the start of the football season, Virginia won’t play in the fall and New Mexico has pushed back contact sports into the spring.
The final say on whether Texas public schools can play sports will come from the University Interscholastic League, however, so far the UIL has allowed districts to make their own decisions based on local county guidelines.
“Our leaders from the UIL, the Texas Education Agency and district officials are still trying to make the best decision for everyone’s safety,” said Burleson volleyball coach D’Anna Newton. “I know the UIL isn’t trying to make any rushed decision.”
The UIL could make an official statewide announcement on the fall season Monday.
The UIL didn’t confirm that, but it did say that “it hopes to share details soon.”
“At this time, we are actively working to finalize plans for fall competition seasons. However, as the circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic are ever-changing, we do not have a specific timetable to release this information,” the UIL said.
As of now, Aug. 3 is the day volleyball and football teams can start fall practices.
Public health officials in the El Paso area were the first to make an announcement on the fall, pushing back the start of extracurricular activity until Sept. 8.
The city stated that schools will start the year online, with no in-person instruction taking place until after Sept. 7. Sporting events wouldn’t start until students returned to campus.
El Paso County has the sixth-highest confirmed COVID cases in the state with over 10,200. It has also reported 159 deaths as of Thursday.
Houston ISD said on Wednesday that in-person instruction won’t happen until Oct. 19, but sports are still to be determined.
DFW Metroplex
Dallas and Tarrant County are ranked second and fourth in Texas, combining for over 55,000 cases and 750 deaths.
“Moving forward it’s a day-by-day deal. You have to consider the data and the science,” said Arlington Sam Houston football coach Anthony Criss. “I believe if it continues to worsen that we will have no choice but to delay.”
But local districts will wait until word comes from city or state officials.
“This is a fluid and ever-changing situation. Many of [those] school districts are responding and complying with new county executive orders, which we have not received at this point in Tarrant County,” a spokesperson for Carroll ISD said.
Southlake Carroll was one of more than 200 schools in Texas impacted by the coronavirus during the first month of summer strength and conditioning workouts, which began on June 8.
The UIL said that masks are now required at all times on campus for anyone that isn’t actively exercising. Masks were recommended, but not required in June.
“The practices have allowed much needed in-person interaction and also have allowed us to get used to protocol facets of what the return to school will look like in August,” said Burleson ISD athletic director Kevin Ozee. “I believe we’re taking steps in the right direction. I’m not sure what certain sports look like for the fall, but we’ll deal with whatever is decided by the UIL and try to turn it into a very positive learning experience.
“My hope is for a full sports season to start in August, but I’m cautiously optimistic.”
What about the NCAA?
Could the NCAA have an impact on the high school season?
“I am worried about what some NCAA colleges are doing,” said Byron Nelson volleyball coach Brianne Groth. “It could have a big impact on high school sports, and not in a good way.”
A number of conferences, schools and organizations have altered the upcoming school year.
The SEC delayed the start of the volleyball and soccer season, the Big Ten and Pac-12 are going with conference-only football games, junior colleges have postponed football, soccer and volleyball until January and March, and Angelina College in Lufkin won’t have any sports until the fall of 2021.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
