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sports
LANSING/IRON COUNTY — Think of it this way. The Indiana High School Athletic Association began its girls basketball tournament last week. In Michigan, basketball teams, both girls and boys, hadn’t even played a game yet.
Well, after a 2½ month wait, Michigan high school basketball is back. As of Feb. 4, the MHSAA has allowed the winter sports season to begin on Monday after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services updated its current epidemic order to allow “contact” sports to continue.
A mandatory mask order during practices and competition is in place, but at least the winter athletes finally get to begin their long-anticipated seasons. If a mask cannot be worn, participants must be regularly tested for COVID-19 consistent with guidelines issued by MDHHS.
This current order will remain in effect through Monday, March 29.
“Safety protocols like wearing masks and testing will help keep kids, coaches and families safe and allow our schools to remain open for in-person instruction,” the MDHHS statement said.
“I’m tremendously excited today,” said MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl during a Zoom meeting with state media. “We greatly appreciate the support and efforts of Gov. (Gretchen) Whitmer and her staff and (MDHHS) director Elizabeth Hertel. We are incredibly pleased and grateful.”
And with that, the basketball, hockey, wrestling and cheer competition seasons can start. Locally, Forest Park’s boys team will start at home against Superior Central on Feb. 12. The Lady Trojans play at West Iron on Feb. 11.
Both FP’s boys and girls games originally scheduled for Feb. 9 have been cancelled.
At West Iron, both the boys and girls teams were scheduled to open play on Monday – the boys at home against Negaunee and the girls at Iron Mountain.
As for spectators at West Iron, each player will be allowed to have two spectators attend. Tickets will be a flat rate of $5 for all spectators, no vouchers are necessary.
FP athletic director Lisa Olson said that two spectators for each player will be allowed at Trojans’ games as well, as per the MHSAA’s protocol.
“We continue to make progress in reducing cases and hospitalizations, helping protect our families and frontline workers and saving lives,” Gov. Whitmer said. “Now, starting February 8, contact sports can resume with safety measures in place. Michigan continues to be a national leader in fighting this virus, and we must continue using a fact-based approach so we can return to a strong economy and normal day-to-day activities. One of the most important things Michiganders can do is to make a plan to get the safe and effective vaccine when it’s available to you. And as always, mask up and maintain six feet of social distancing. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of the virus so we can end this pandemic together.”
“We are pleased at our continued progress in Michigan that has allowed us to take this step forward in a phased approach,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at MDHHS. “As a parent and former student-athlete myself, I get how important athletics are to our children’s physical and mental health. However, parents and athletes need to understand the risk involved with contact sports if they choose to participate. Sports that require frequent closeness between players make it more difficult to prevent disease transmission even when mitigation measures are in place, including masks. Even when not required, we urge teams to implement a testing program to protect athletes, coaches and their families.”
MDHHS had been closely monitoring three metrics for stabilization or declines over the past several weeks, and Michigan continues to see improvements, according to the MDHHS. In recent days:
• Hospital capacity dedicated to COVID-19 patients has been in 10-week decline, with current capacity at 6.6 percent for beds with COVID-19 patients. Peaked at 19.6 percent on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
• Overall case rates: Currently at 159 cases per million after peaking at 740 cases per million on Saturday, Nov. 14. Rate has been in solid decline for 24 days. Three MERC regions in the state are now below 150 cases per million people: the Detroit, Traverse City and Upper Peninsula regions.
• Positivity rate: currently at 4.9 percent and declining. This is the first time positivity has been this low since mid-October
Participants need to maintain 6 feet of distance when not actively engaged in play and wear face masks at all times.
“Today’s announcement is possible because of our progress over the last two months,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “Michiganders need to remain vigilant, however, as we now have a new more easily transmitted variant of this virus present in our state. All Michigan residents need to minimize their risk by avoiding gatherings, wearing masks properly, social distancing, and making a plan to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine when it is their turn.”
MHSAA communications director Geoff Kimmerly released the schedule for winter sports, as it currently stands. In Iron County, with just basketball on the docket, the winter slate and directives are:
Girls Basketball
Masking/testing: All participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. A testing requirement may allow participants to remove masks while in active participation on the floor if they test negative that game day; more details will be provided to schools when confirmed.
Competition limit: Teams may play up to three games per week, Monday through Sunday.
First contest allowed: Feb. 8
Districts: March 22, 24, 26
Regionals: March 29, 31
Quarterfinals: April 5
Semifinals: April 7
Finals: April 9
Boys Basketball
Masking/testing: All participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. A testing requirement may allow participants to remove masks while in active participation on the floor if they test negative that game day; more details will be provided to schools when confirmed.
Competition limit: Teams may play up to three games per week, Monday through Sunday.
First contest allowed: Feb. 8
Districts: March 23, 25, 27
Regionals: March 30, April 1
Quarterfinals: April 6
Semifinals: April 8
Finals: April 10