No  new changes in County COVID

rules on High School Sports

By Jim Wieners

COVID-19 declared a word pandemic last march by the World Health Organization, cancelled the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class Four and Class Five State Basketball semifinals and finals, denying defending Class Four Girls Champion Incarnate Word Academy and Class Five Hazelwood Central Girls a state title chance.
It denied the graduated Class of 2020 seniors’ last chance to compete in Spring Sports. It also denied Class Five Hazelwood West Boys and Class Three Trinity Catholic Boys and Girls their chance to repeat as State Track And Field Champions. North Tech saw their interscholastic sports terminated last May by the St. Louis County Special School District. In addition, summer sports started late but ended early by St. Louis County.
All this has not been for forgotten as about 200 protestors, mostly parents of the student athletes, protested the revised county’s guidelines on Sunday in front of the home of County Executive Dr. Sam Page and again Monday in front of the County Courthouse. But as of Monday, Dr. Page has not changed any of the new prep sports guidlines
In August, Missouri, one of 14 states that did not make changes according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, allowed schools to opt in moving Fall sports to Spring, 2021. St. Louis County School Districts — Ferguson-Florissant, Hazelwood, Pattonville, Ritenour, Riverview Gardens, University City and Valley Park — decided to do jut that. Trinity Catholic and Lutheran North High Schools IWA, the Jennings School District and Normandy Schools Collaborative did not.
While schools in most other Missouri counties, including St. Charles, are playing all fall sports like football, St. Louis City and County schools are not, and that will have adverse effects on 2021 seniors, especially those seeking college scholarships. As of Sept. 9, Dr. Sam Page is limiting High School Sports, effective Sept. 11, to low frequency of contact — that is Boys and Girls Cross Country, Boys Swimming And Diving as well as Girls Golf and Tennis — this Fall. In addition contests, no tournament-style events, and will be limited to the City of St. Louis as well as St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson and St. Charles Counties, and the Metro East (mainly Madison, Monroe and St. Clair, Ill. Counties). Trinity added Cross Country this year according to athletic director Bruce Smith
Moderate frequency of contact of Fall sports meets — including Boys Soccer as well as Girls Field Hockey, Softball and Volleyball — are limited to athletes under 14 years of age, in the Metro St. Louis area only, and Lutheran North added a Middle School. There will be no Moderate Contact games or tournaments for high school athletes ages 14-18. The decision could force the MSHSAA to cancel or move the State Soccer Tournament(s) from the World Wide Technology Soccer Park to outside St. Louis City and County, maybe outside Kansas City. In addition, this could not allow IWA Softball, Fourth Place in Class Three last year, and DeSmet Jesuit, defending Class Four State Boys Soccer Champions, their chance to win this Fall.
Football, a high frequency of contact fall sport, will not have games while practices must be limited to groups of no more that 30, no more than two coaches per group and groups must be in 20-foot barriers. Lutheran North, defending Class Two State Champions and DeSmet, defending Class Six State Champions, may not get to repeat this fall. In addition, Trinity may not get a chance to win their second State Football title in three years after losing last year to Cassville in the Class Three State Semifinals. Some student athletes, and/or their parents, had first protested outside Dr. Page’s home on Sept. 9/
At the same time, The City of St. Louis allows only low contact sports, like those in St. Louis County. There are no High, Moderate Frequency of Contact Sports meets, and practices are limited to 11 per group, six feet apart, no more than two coaches and must be in 20-foot barriers. This affects charter and private schools since the St. Louis Public Schools opted to move fall sports to the Spring, 2021. St. Louis University High can still have a chance to repeat as Class Two Boys Swimming and Diving Champions since the State meet, held at the St. Peters’ Rec-Plex, is in the St. Louis Metro area
Meanwhile, Illinois — according to the NFHS as one of 37 states including Washington D.C., that are modifying sports seasons and one of 19 states, including D.C., that will not have football this fall — is limiting fall sports to Boys and Girls Cross Country as well as Golf, Girls Tennis and Swimming and Diving. Also fifth

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