By Rich Chrampanis
Pitcher Shane Panzini looked to lead RBC as the defending Shore Conference champions. All spring sports are side- lined during the quarantine from the coronavirus pandemic
With the doors shut on high schools, the spring sports season is on hold. Many athletes and coaches fear there could be no sports played for the remainder of the school year, but the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJ-SIAA) is keeping the door open to the possibility of some sort of spring sports season, if schools reopen. The NJSIAA executive committee held a teleconference April 1 and released the following statement:
“While a return-to-school date and related public health guidelines will determine the viability of a spring sports season, NJSIAA is committed to doing whatever is possible to provide New Jersey’s student-athletes with some type of spring season. We have not given up on spring sports and will continue holding teleconferences and virtual meetings with leaders of our various leagues and conferences to assess options. To be clear, any effort to arrange for scholastic competition outside the traditional academic calendar would require support and approval beyond our office.”
Here are the NJSIAA’s answers to some frequently asked questions, as of March 25:
Are coaches allowed to have in-person contact with student-athletes while schools are shut down?
No, during the governor’s statewide shutdown of all schools, no NJSIAA member school, school district, or coach may conduct practices, scrimmages, or games (which includes all official interscholastic contests). This is a mandatory period of no in-person contact between coaches and their student-athletes.
During the governor’s statewide shutdown of all schools, no practices, scrimmages, or games may be held. This includes any event organized by a parent, captain, or other student-athlete.
These restrictions relate to all sports, not just spring sports.
These restrictions are in place to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in accordance with restrictions imposed by the governor and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the New Jersey Department of Health.
Coaches may interact virtually with their student-athletes, including providing workouts or training materials. However, such virtual contact – as well as any activity that may result from it – must strictly conform to all directives in effect related to the coronavirus out- break and social distancing guidelines. In addition, any virtual contact and resultant activities must be entirely in keeping with all NJSIAA in-and off-season protocols.
When schools are able to reopen, how will NJSIAA determine the length of the regular season?
While the return-to-school date will play a significant role in determining the length of the regular season, NJSIAA staff will also discuss options with officers of each league and conference. Important factors in determining the potential length of the regular season will be feedback from these officers related to the status of various county or conference tournaments, as well as plans for abridged divisional and/or inter-con-ference schedules.
What is the status of NJ-SIAA championship tournaments?
As stated in the previous FAQ, all dates, locations and qualification requirements per each sport’s tournament will be subject to change. As soon as a return-to-school date is made official, NJ-SIAA staff will work directly with key tournament staff for each sport to structure championship tournaments. Also, NJSIAA staff will work together to ensure that all sports will, as much as is feasible, provide consistent opportunities for participation and championship play.
Will NJSIAA host its annual Scholar Athlete Luncheon?
No, the NJSIAA Scholar Athlete Luncheon, originally scheduled for Sunday, May 17, has been canceled. NJSIAA is continuing to solicit nominations from each member school and will send each honoree a certificate and gift. Monetary scholarships, however, will not be awarded this year.
This article originally appeared in the April 2nd, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
