The Kentucky High School Athletic Association will continue its spring dead period into June but will revoke the annual summer dead period in late June and early July to allow coaches and sports programs to prepare for the resumption of summer practices.
The KHSAA Board of Control voted on the dead period issue at a special called meeting Thursday afternoon. The vote was 13-5 in favor of eliminating the summer dead period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual summer dead period runs from June 25-July 9 and prohibits coaches from having contact with athletes and school facilities be used by both.
KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett, who was in favor of doing away with the summer dead period for this year, told the board it’s time to get players back with their coaches ahead of the fall sports season.
Tackett said it wasn’t feasible to ask schools to resume athletics in early June and then shut things down for the summer dead period.
Beginning June 1, schools will be allowed to transition its facilities to prepare for the return of students by obtaining the proper PPE and putting down social distancing markings.
From June 1-14, there will be no workouts or conditioning allowed but coaches will be allowed to meet with players in groups of 10 or less to outline workouts, help schedule physicals, and discuss travel to and from school.
The youth sports guidelines allow practices and conditioning to be held in sports beginning June 15 and competitions in low-touch sports can begin June 29. Tackett said it was his early interpretation that youth sports was considered to be those under the middle school level. However, he said youth sports pertains to all youths.
Tackett said no one at the KHSAA was involved discussions or planning with the state in establishing the Healthy at Work guidelines for youth sports in the state that were announced last Friday.
High school sports in Kentucky came to a halt March 12 during the first round of the girls’ Sweet 16. On April 21, the KHSAA announced the cancellation of both state basketball tournaments and all spring sports.
They implemented a spring dead period that kept students and coaches away from high school facilities and limited instructional interaction. The dead period was scheduled to end Sunday.
Tackett said the KHSAA does not have the authority to do their own thing in regard to implementing a return to high school sports. He said the KHSAA is an arm of the Kentucky Board of Education and will conform with the governor’s guidelines established for youth sports recently announced by the state.
When it comes to how social distancing will be enforced at workouts and practices, Tackett said that will be up to the schools, saying “the KHSAA is not in a position of enforcement.”
Tackett also told the board of control it’s time to preach patience to student-athletes, parents, and coaches. He said 2020 will not look like 2019, and that 2021 will not look like 2020.
An individual sport-by-sport plan for resuming in the fall was not announced at the meeting Thursday but some guidelines are expected to be released by the KHSAA before Monday.
The board of control also ruled there will be no extra eligibility granted to high school athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The KHSAA, through KRS 156.070, requires athletes get a physical before they are allowed to play. There was some discussion about waiving the rule, but Tackett said they do not have the jurisdiction to change this. He said fall athletes will still need to get physicals from a medical professional before they can play fall sports.
Thursday’s meeting was held via zoom conference and streamed live on the KHSAA’s YouTube channel. At one point, it was viewed by nearly 2,400 people at one point.
