WIAA moves traditional fall sports to Season 1 in revised season schedule

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Executive Board voted on Wednesday to amend the proposed season schedule for 2020-21.

The revision moves traditional fall sports to Season 1 with practices beginning on Feb. 1 and the season wrapping up on March 20. Season 2 and 3 of the revised activities calendar for this year will be reviewed again at the board’s meeting on Jan. 19.

Sports set to begin at the start of February now include: cross country, football, golf (alternate season), slowpitch softball, girls and 1B/2B soccer, girls swim and dive, tennis (alternate season) and volleyball.

The update to the schedule came after Gov. Jay Inslee announced his “Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery” plan on Tuesday which included new guidelines and metrics for beginning education-based activities and athletics again, according to a statement released by the WIAA.

Sports’ individually assigned risk levels will not change with the new guidelines, but participation levels will vary for counties in Phase 1 and Phase 2.

WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman said in the WIAA’s statement that guideline changes will allow all traditional fall sports to be played in Phase 2. Hoffman said “a clear pathway” to holding high-risk indoor activities such as basketball or wrestling still remains uncertain.

WIAA staff will keep working with the State Department of Health to continue to boost their clarity on the updated guidelines released on Jan. 5. Hoffman said as they gather more information about the updated parameters for returning, they will be able to better gauge how to approach the rest of the year.

The open coaching period has also been extended for every school until the day Season 1 begins at their school.