GREEN BAY – While the WIAA decided to push forward with fall high school sports on Friday, the Green Bay Area Public School District will not follow.

At least for now.

The district announced it will move all fall sports for middle and high schools to the spring, taking advantage of the WIAA offering to provide schools the opportunity to play their fall sports seasons in the spring.

It includes football, boys soccer, boys and girls volleyball, cross country, girls golf, girls tennis and girls swimming.

The local high schools impacted are Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Green Bay East and Green Bay West.

This also will impact schools in the Fox River Classic Conference and Bay Conference, leaving open dates in schedules. It remains possible, however, that other area school districts also will decide to play in the spring.

“This decision was not easy, but it was necessary for the safety and well-being of our student athletes,” Superintendent Stephen Murley said in a statement. “Across the state in both high school and college athletics, there is an acknowledgement that mitigation efforts alone are not enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. In addition, there are troubling reports of athletes who have been infected with COVID-19 having ongoing health issues. Athletics are important to our students, their families, coaches, and school communities. By moving fall athletics to the spring when we hope the activity level of COVID-19 will be greatly reduced, athletes will then be able to participate in the sports they love.”

The district considered three key factors in its decision: Its ability to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among other student-athletes and coaches, the current rate of community spread and guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services.

“I’m disappointed, but I understand,” Green Bay Preble soccer coach Chris Becker said. “I feel for the kids who aren’t going to have that fall season. Spring and a shortened season are just not the same, but I do understand where the district is coming from.”

There also might be some extra challenges for fall teams in the spring.

“You don’t know the unknown of spring, with a bunch of sports going on at the same time,” Becker said. “Club soccer is very big. Are kids going to want to try to play club soccer instead of high school? There are a lot of different variables that are going to go into play that I have no answer for at the current moment.”