Up & Coming Weekly

May 26, 2020

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 27-JUNE 2, 2020 UCW 17 EARL VAUGHAN JR., Sports Editor. COMMENTS? EarlUCWSports@gmail. com. 910-364-6638. HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS Few people are better qualified to talk about the current state of high school athletics in North Carolina than Rick Strunk. Strunk joined the staff at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in 1985 and spent 30 years there before stepping down in 2015. During his early years with the NCHSAA, Strunk had a conversa- tion with longtime NCHSAA leader Charlie Adams about what events could disrupt high school sports on a statewide scale. Adams told Strunk one thing would be a major war that could put restrictions on travel. The second thing Adams said was an epidemic. Strunk said during his time with the NCHSAA, they did have to deal with a situation like that, but it was nothing on the scale of the current COVID-19 pandemic. "There was a measles outbreak,'' Strunk said, adding that it was confined to one area of the state. "School systems went under quarantine for a limi- ted period of time to try and track down the source of the measles.'' Schools in that area developed a workaround, redoing their athletic schedules and playing games against schools that weren't under quaran- tine, then once the quarantine was lifted, making up all the postponed games against the schools that were in lockdown. He thinks the NCHSAA has done the best job possible trying to make decisions within the framework of the restrictions that have been set down in North Carolina to curb the spread of the pandemic, and he thinks coa- ches, athletes, parents and fans need to understand that the NCHSAA lacks the freedom to make plans for the future at will. "When the governor says something is going to happen on this date, you can't make your own deci- sion to run counter to that,'' he said. "Health and safety of the participants is paramount. That is what North Carolina has focused on.'' Strunk said he has stayed in contact with mem- bers of the NCHSAA staff during the pandemic, and hopes the public appreciates this has been a painful process for them. "They know the value of high school sports and that kids want to play,'' he said. "I really feel bad for seniors who didn't have a season in the spring because it was stopped so early.'' At the same time, he had nothing but praise for how school systems and coaches are still reaching out to support both students and athletes. "Schools have had to pivot quickly,'' he said. "Without much run-up they had to put classes online.'' He said coaches have had to design strength con- ditioning programs for homebound athletes who don't have access to gyms or weights. In the face of everything, Strunk is trying to be optimistic and hopeful that by this fall, some degree of normalcy will return and coaches and athletes will be back on the field. "First is the decision about school,'' he said. "That will drive a lot of things.'' He's also concerned about if fans will feel safe going to games and if small businesses will be able to provide financial support to local teams after being closed. Instead of a light switch, Strunk thinks the return to sports will be more like a dimmer switch. "The safety of the public, the athletes, the coaches, the fans, all of those are the prime directive in this case,'' he said. Strunk looks back, forward at COVID-19 by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Rick Strunk Many factors will determine status of return of fall sports by KARISSA NIEHOFF Reopening is the key word in sports at all levels right now. Every day, there are new projections for when the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball will resume — and if the National Football League will start on time this fall. Along with leaders of youth-level sports and the NCAA, the NFHS and its member state associati- ons are exploring all options for conducting sports this fall. And while we all want answers, the truth is that there are more questions than answers at this point. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading national medical authority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, recently told ESPN that "the virus will make the decision for us" on whether sports will return this fall. His comments underscore the need for leaders of all levels of sport in the United States to exercise great caution as we re-engage in activities. Without a doubt, education will play a larger role in the decision-making process for high school programs than for nonscholastic programs. Despite the significant loss of revenue that could occur at some levels if programs remain closed, health and safety concerns must take priority when it comes to reopening the sport or activity. At the high school level, sports and other activity programs will most likely not return until schools reopen. High school sports and performing arts are education-based programs and complete the learning process on a day-to-day basis. As such, academics during the school day and sports and other activities after school are inseparable. Could any of those sports and activities return without fans? That option is certainly not one schools favor, but it is a very real possibility. While a few state associations opted for that arrange- ment to complete state basketball tournaments, that is not a desired ongoing plan for school sports. Besides, this troubling question would have to be addressed: If it is unsafe for fans in the stands, is it safe for the students to participate? Students, parents and other fans in the stands cheering for and supporting student-athletes, and applauding from the theatre audience, are among the most wonderful aspects of education-based activities. Before accepting that arrangement, efforts will continue to make attending events a safe experience for everyone. While we remain uncertain as to the timetable for the return of high school sports and other acti- vities, we believe that when these programs return — and they will return — that everyone will bring renewed zeal to provide the 12 million participants in these programs the best experience possible. One of the challenges to solving the crystal ball of high school sports and activities this fall is the uncertainty of the spread of the virus as states begin to reopen this month. The NFHS will con- tinue to work with its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee on an ongoing basis to provide the most updated information. With the non-negotiable tenet of safety for stu- dent activity participants, expect every avenue to be pursued so that students can be involved in football, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, speech, debate, music and many other school activities this fall. Will football return to stadiums like Pine Forest (top) and Jack Britt (bottom) this fall? KARISSA NIEHOFF Executive Director National Federation of State High School Associations., COMMENTS? EarlUCWS- ports@gmail.com. 910-364-6638.

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