As summer break came to a close, a big question on many families’ minds was not just whether class would be held virtually or in person, but whether school sports would resume. 

Spring athletes abruptly had their seasons canceled in March.

“I don’t want to go through another season where I saw the seniors not get a senior season,” Mountain View High School Athletic Director Luke Wolf said. “That was devastating to see last year for seniors in the spring and our coaches.”

Many districts have started practices and games back up, while trying to keep athletes safe and avoid outbreaks.

But sports present a unique challenge because athletes are breathing heavily near each other, which increases the risk of transmission, and playing a sport doesn’t easily allow for social distancing and wearing a mask, Central District Health spokesman Brandon Atkins said. 

“Can you imagine volleyball players or basketball players wearing masks on the court while they were playing?” he said. “It would be pretty challenging … for a sports team to be participating in those types of activities with a face covering on.”

It’s not just the players themselves who could spread the virus at a sporting event. Atkins was also wary of the large crowds those events attract. That’s why the Kuna School District, for example, only allowed essential personnel in the stands at its recent home football game. 

Still, parents who spoke with the Idaho Press see value in having their child’s sport resume, even if crowds can’t attend. Some are concerned that their kids aren’t responding well to the enforced separations.

“Since school started, these kids are on virtual learning from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. With no sports, nothing to go to, it’s unhealthy, it’s hard on their self-esteem,” said Julie Compton, the parent of a Boise High School student who plays soccer.

Sara Carpenter, a Boise High School parent and St. Luke’s health care provider, said her kids were both deeply involved with school sports and hoped to be back playing outdoors soon.

“I just feel that sports participation for our kids is huge. … The social aspect is huge. A lot of times kids are learning on devices, and there’s nothing to focus their energy on after school,” Carpenter said. 

As a health care provider, she is intensely aware of the novel coronavirus’s dangers. But she also knows that kids require something more to do when they’re confined to virtual learning for seven hours a day.

“Those more-so outside sports are less risky, and giving them some sort of mental and physical release is beneficial for these kids as a whole,” Carpenter said.

Boise schools received clearance this week to begin full-team practices, and they’ll play their first games next Friday. They have put precautions in place such as wearing masks when not in a helmet, social distancing as much as possible during practice and bringing individual water bottles from home.

Games resume tonight with limited fans for West Ada schools after they played with no fans last week. Nampa schools have started games, and Caldwell just got the go-ahead this week to start games next week.

“If the school districts are taking proper precautions and everybody is following guidelines, I think games are important and I think we should play,” Caldwell volleyball coach Kaylee Green said. “I feel comfortable playing games and hosting games here because I know we follow the guidelines and I can keep everybody safe in my gym. … I feel good about it.”

But, as seen in Payette last month, athletic gatherings can lead to an outbreak. In August a cluster of COVID-19 cases were linked to a football camp at Payette High School. As of Sept. 4, 30 student-athletes in Payette County have quarantined, according to Southwest District Health. 

The Boise School District didn’t allow practices to begin until Wednesday, after Central District Health moved the district’s reopening category to yellow, meaning the rate of community spread had declined. Yellow category guidelines also include in-person learning.

Some parents have expressed frustration by what they saw as the Boise School District’s delayed decision on its plan for sports.

“We’re not really sure of the logic of the Boise School District,” said Andy Hawes, another Boise High soccer parent. The district was setting up a district-only competition slate, which he found confusing. “You can live in Boise and be in the West Ada School District,” where teams were already playing, he said.

Boise School District spokesman Dan Hollar said the process was based on the safety of the students.

“Safety is the main focus for us, as it is with our decisions making process,” Hollar said. “We consult regularly with Central District Health, with medical providers in town, to make sure we are doing things correctly in a phased manner.”

The Southern Idaho Conference, made up of local 5A and 4A schools, is planning to make an announcement soon in regard to competitions, he noted.

Hollar said he understood the district’s methodical approach wouldn’t please everybody, but administrators were doing their best to make sure everything was done in a safe manner that “respects the science.”

“We need to remain vigilant in our efforts to protect one another,” Hollar said.

COACHES AND ATHLETES

Wolf, Mountain View’s athletic director, said it’s important to hold sporting events and “get back to some normalcy.”

One reason? The clock is ticking for high school athletes. Unlike college where athletes can receive extra years of eligibility for missed seasons due to the pandemic, high school athletes are done as soon as they graduate. There’s no coming back for an extra senior year.

Another reason coaches and athletes want to play is because they need some sort of motivation or pick-me-up with everything going on. Many students are stuck learning at home and have few chances to get outside or see friends.

“A lot our girls don’t have a lot going on at home and don’t have great home lives, so they need somewhere to get out,” Green, the Caldwell volleyball coach, said. “When they don’t have school to go to they don’t have anything. I know for me I needed sports for my mental health when I was an athlete, and I know my girls are the same way.”

The safety of all athletes and coaches is the top priority, but coaches and administrators say sports can safely proceed if teams follow the recommended guidelines.

While Atkins with Central District Health understood the need for youths to have access to school sports, he highlighted the need to proceed with caution. Diving back into hosting school sporting events could prolong transmission of the virus, which could, in turn, lead to future cancellations of sports. 

The final decision, however, is at the local level, he said. 

“Because really those administrators, teachers, athletic coaches should be on the ones who have the pulse point, right, to know what’s happening, what is safe, what’s not safe, based on that guidance recommendation,” he said.

RISK OF EXPOSURE

No matter how many precautions schools put in place, Saint Alphonsus Nampa President Travis Leach said there will always be a considerable risk of spreading the disease with in-person instruction until a county’s positive test rate falls under 5%. 

Earlier this week, Southwest District Health moved Canyon County out of the highest risk category for community transmission to the second-highest risk category, spurring the Nampa School District to begin its transition into hybrid learning. Southwest District Health Director Nikki Zogg said she trusts school districts that work with health district liaisons to develop safe plans for students and staff. 

Despite this, Zogg said the health district is prepared to respond to an upcoming rise in COVID-19 cases. Leach said he also expects to see an increase in recorded cases in late September. 

Southwest District Health has already recorded some new COVID-19 cases in students and staff within the health district’s boundaries, Zogg said, but she said those cases were not linked to classroom exposure.

One of the biggest risks of in-person instruction, Leach noted, is that schools can’t control what students or employees do outside of the classroom. The risk of spreading COVID-19 is equal or even greater in athletics programs at schools, he said.

Both Zogg and Leach said higher contact sports bring more risk of spreading the disease, and Zogg said Southwest District Health has already identified some small cluster outbreaks in high-contact sports teams. 

“Even the best plans, if they are not implemented well, can increase the risk of exposure,” Zogg said.