DCSD has just recently announced that all students and teachers are moving online after Thanksgiving in an effort to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. But students and parents are wondering: with in-person schooling shutting down, will sports soon follow?
Darren Withey, HR athletic director, explained that because sports are managed by the Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) and not the school board, their seasons, practices, and rules and regulations are not affected unless there is a total shutdown by the governor overriding everything.
Withey said, “It stems down from the governor who makes a call from the Colorado decision. CHSAA will then distribute the levels of severity based on districts. Unless there is a statewide shutdown across all of Colorado, it is left up to the districts to decide the severity of the outbreaks on whether or not to shut down.”
With the next sports season set to start January 3rd, teams will be practicing in the off season to stay in shape. But how have coaches had to adapt to new changes because of COVID-19? Dominic Douglass, cross country coach, said, “With COVID we’ve had to make some adjustments to coaching. During the summer when we couldn’t coach or meet with the team, we provided workouts online and had the captains lead them. We are going to still be doing the same thing this winter but now we will be able to meet as a team.” Coaches have also been told to enforce a variety of new protocols to keep athletes safe and able to compete.
Matthew Lobojko, senior and track athlete, said, “Being able to meet with the entire team and the coaches this offseason is a big change. It will allow us to push each other to be better as a team with the guidance and support of our coaches, something we didn’t have when training in the summer.”
To keep athletes healthy and competing, it is essential that everyone, including fans, follow the protocols laid out by CHSAA. “The hardest job is going around telling everyone to social distance and wear our masks, but our primary goal is to ensure safety,” Withey said. “The more people can work with us, the quicker we can go back to being rowdies and showing up to games, dressing up for spirit days, and just go back and be kids again.”
Samuel Hilsden, Online Editor
