The Wautoma Area School District held a work meeting on Aug. 24. The decision was made to approve the fall sport season.
A number of individuals from the Wautoma coaching staff spoke to the Board regarding the subject. Wautoma High School Varsity Football Coach, Andy Krueger, quoted “we are all here for the kids.” Coaches spoke on concerns of fall sports being moved into spring, with students having to choose over which to participate in.
Tom Rheinheimer pres-ented the facts surrounding the issue. The WIAA provided some guidelines that schools should follow. This includes schools playing locally. Football is considered a high risk sport; boys’ soccer and volleyball are moderate; and cross country, low when running a duel meeting.
The next level to consider is the State Health Department. They stated that they would not release an official statement surrounding athletics, leaving it up to a local level.
That brings it to the Waushara County Health Department. The department gave a statement, although it is difficult in certain sports to maintain physical distancing, the guideline offers many suggestions to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
Rheinheimer acknow-ledges that any decision made will not satisfy every family.
A main point made was in regards to mental and emotional health. Waushara County saw an increase in depression and anxiety after the cancellation of spring sports. Also, a representative from the County Health Department has spoken to Rheinheimer on an increased frequency of suicide attempts and mental health referrals in the county during the public school shutdown starting in March 2020. While that may tie into the majority of feelings felt by the community, the Board recognized the importance of bringing normalcy back into kids lives.
The most important thing to keep in mind will be having a plan set in place. If an athlete were to test positive for COVID-19, the whole team would have to be quarantined for 14 days. Public officials will then start contact tracing to reduce the spread. The health questionnaire will be very important for athletes and coaches to complete before an event. Keeping the games within the SCC Conference is recommended to keep games local.
The Board voted to approve the start of the 2020 Fall Sports Season as it was presented.
This year will look like no other Waushara County has seen. While the games will look different, the athletes and coaches have shown excitement for the upcoming season.
The next board meeting will be on Sept. 14, at 6:15 p.m. in the Wautoma High School Library.
