ST. LOUIS — This week a new plan was announced for high school sports teams, which could potentially give many athletes a second chance.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced a plan to allow fall sports to compete in a modified spring season if those teams do not begin or finish their season in the fall due to COVID-19 decisions made by school districts or local health departments.
Ladue head football coach Mike Tarpey said the plan is helpful for senior athletes looking for one last shot on the field.
“It’s the last time for kids, a lot of times, to play the game,” Tarpey said. “The other sports you can play golf the rest of your life. You can play soccer. You can play baseball. You can even play field hockey. It is truly the one sport, you’ve never going to get the same experience as an adult.”
The plan allows teams to pause their fall season, if forced to do so, and pick up where they left off in the alternate fall season. Or, teams can choose to only play in the alternate fall season.
Tarpey said this will be tough logistically and physically for teams.
“Eventually say you’ve got to shut it down,” Tarpey said. “How many kids, and maybe not kids, but how many parents are like, ‘Hey we’re not gonna keep doing this. It’s time to move on.’ And whether that’s moving onto a different sport that allows for social distancing.”
The alternate fall season is set to run March 12 through May 1, which means the alternate spring season would be pushed back to run May 14 through July 10.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch high school sports writer David Kvidahl said this could cause issues for many spring athletes who already lost their 2020 spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Westminster is in St. Louis County, and that is a traditionally very strong baseball program,” Kvidahl said. “But they also have kids that play football. So, should Westminster opt to play a spring alternate fall season? The next year is already starting to be messed with, and we’re not even to fall sports yet.”
Kvidahl said as of Friday, 37 other states have delayed or altered their fall sports schedules as well, but Missouri is the only one who has approved a plan with this format.