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ANN ARBOR – Ann Arbor Public Schools has announced fall sports teams within the district will have separate competition dates than others across the state, including football.
In an email sent to parents and guardians of athletes on Wednesday, AAPS Superintendent Jeanice Swift said football teams in the district (Ann Arbor Pioneer, Ann Arbor Huron and Ann Arbor Skyline) would not begin their football seasons with the rest of the state in Week 4, but instead will begin competition in Week 5.
Additionally, Swift said boys soccer and field hockey teams would be allowed to begin competition on Sept. 14 and volleyball and swim and dive teams would be allowed to begin indoor activity on Sept. 14 as well.
Swift added that there will be no spectators at home events in the AAPS district, including events at stadiums, gyms and indoor pools.
Athletic Directors and coaches will be allowed to coordinate with the public to produce live streams for spectators to view the contests.
The AAPS’ announcement comes less than a week after the Michigan High School Athletics Association reinstated football across the state and gave the green light for boys soccer, volleyball and girls swim and dive teams to begin competition.
Football games are scheduled to begin Friday, Sept. 18, while competition in boys soccer could take place immediately after the announcement and volleyball and swim teams were given clearance to begin competing on Tuesday.
Practice for football across the state began again on Tuesday and the three Ann Arbor teams were prepping for their Week 4 opponents but will now have to shift gears and wait an additional week before they can take the field.
“After a great deal of consideration by district administration, the Board of Education, athletic directors and coaches, we will not stand in the way of the Executive Order issued last Thursday, September 3, 2020, allowing the resumption of fall athletic seasons, and providing that high school athletic practices and competitions may proceed this fall, yet we will communicate, implement, and closely monitor a set of rigorous AAPS health and safety protocols (forthcoming to student athletes) to be observed during these athletic activities,” Swift wrote in the email. “If concerns arise with the adherence to health protocols by student athletes, parents or others associated with the activity, those who fail to comply will forfeit the opportunity for participation, and/or a failure to comply may also result in the cancellation of the activity or competition entirely.
“Further, we will vigilantly monitor the health condition of our athletes and will strictly practice appropriate quarantine and contact tracing when COVID cases arise; please note that this may involve the temporary suspension of athletic activity until appropriate contact tracing and other health-related processes can be completed, processes that may take 1-3 days to complete.”
Swift said AAPS still has concerns regarding the amount of outbreaks that have taken place in Michigan involving high school athletics and how sports that are deemed to be contact sports create a higher risk for COVID-19 exposure.
Several athletic teams across the state were impacted by the virus, including those in the Ann Arbor area specifically at Huron, Chelsea and Saline. Others programs throughout the state have also been affected by the virus.
Swift said AAPS had not experienced a COVID-19 outbreak among its athletic programs.
“In the Ann Arbor Public Schools, we value and understand the importance of athletics for our students, to support mental health as well as in individual and team development,” Swift said. “We understand, also, the opportunity of high school sports to enrich the lives of our students, allow college scholarships and other post-high school opportunities, significant life opportunities that could be lost in the case of a missed Fall 2020 season. The Ann Arbor Public Schools has long been known for strong support of student athletes and continues a long-standing tradition of excellence in athletic endeavors.
“As a result, we are balancing many competing, critical factors in weighing this challenging decision, and we recognize that there is no decision that will satisfy all; in fact, there are no easy decisions during COVID-19.”
Athletic directors within the Southeastern Conference, which Pioneer, Huron and Skyline compete in, are expected to meet Wednesday night to discuss how the announcement will affect scheduling in the conference.
Swift added that the district is still awaiting more information regarding athletes being required to wear masks during practices and competition and said athletes would be required to wear masks for at least the remainder of this week.
“In the AAPS, we will continue to closely monitor this fall athletic season, week-by-week, and we reserve the right to adjust the AAPS guidelines at any time during the coming weeks of the fall season as the situation changes or circumstances may warrant,” Swift said.
MORE:
How the decision was made to bring back high school football in Michigan
Michigan high school football fall season reinstated; games begin Sept. 18
Coaches, players ecstatic, anxious, apologetic as football practice returned Tuesday
MHSAA won’t require officials to wear masks, seeks clarification for athletes
How to watch Michigan high school soccer and volleyball games online on MHSAA and NFHS networks
High school football is back in business today
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