Traversing the winter sports pandemic landscape

After the blanket cancellation of spring sports in reaction to the emergence of a coronavirus pandemic, prep sports successfully negotiated the completion of a modified fall season. Precautionary interventions were implemented to intervene against the potential for detrimental consequences. Multiple team events like typical inaugural Tip-Off Tournaments were canceled. Fan attendance limitations were introduced in addition to the wearing of masks and social distancing to reduce the risk of exposure. The exercise of basic hygienic practices were reiterated: no sharing of rehydration bottles, beverage containers or food items, etc.

Thus far, the most extreme consequences have been averted, but not without its share of hiccups.

When players were identified as having come in contact with coronavirus, quarantine isolation took place at the individual and/or team level. Local examples ranged from a few individuals having to forego further participation in their seasons as in the case of a handful of Lady Pirate volleyballers missing out on the postseason.

Others encompassed entire teams. Charlo volleyballers missed two weeks of the latter portion of their regular schedule in quarantine. The Polson girls soccer team had to begin its quarantine period the last week of their regular schedule that included their homecoming match, effectively eliminating them from a chance to compete in the postseason. Midseason matches had to be rescheduled when teams were sidelined for weeks at a time under quarantine. Others had to be cancelled altogether.

As the sports calendar now transitions to winter scheduling, similar procedures have been implemented while others are tailored to the particulars of the specific sport.

In an ordinary year, winter sports practices would have commenced on Nov.19 with the first events of the season being able to take place within two weeks thereafter when 10 practices had been completed. But the Montana High School Association implemented an intervention strategy to facilitate the flattening of the curve by pushing back winter sports practices to Dec.7, thereby pushing the commencement of seasonal events until after the New Year.

Basketball tip-off tourneys scrapped

This season's annual tip-off tournaments ordinarily would have taken place the second weekend of December with the majority of the regular schedules unfolding thereafter. At the very least, the standard 18-game schedule has been scaled back by at least two games with the elimination of these tip-offs. Other nonconference matchups that would have taken place before the winter recess likewise have been factored out of the equation for the most part. Because conference matches take precedence over non-conference games, different teams will likely play varying scheduling that ranges between the low teens to mid-teens before the culmination of their regular schedules rotates into the postseason.

Different nuances related to the pandemic are likely to be observed. Customary handshakes have been eliminated. Officials handling the ball during throwins and free throws will likely bounce pass the ball to the player in order to maintain social distancing protocols.

At present, the postseason tournaments have scheduled venues. But whether divisionals and state tournaments are played at those sites remains to be seen. If the virus curve flattens, that may be a distinct possibility. But if the numbers continue to proliferate, alternate venues may come into play. Something similar to how volleyball handled their postseason may take place such as higher seeds hosting lower seeds in a play-in like format during earlier rounds at the very least. In essence, plans have been made, but we won't know until we get there.

Wrestling mostly duals

No multiple-day invitational tournaments will be taking place during this pandemic season, whether in state or out of state. Wrestling competitions will follow the smaller dual format. Teams may have up to two duals per day, which many area teams have periodically practiced over the course of preceding seasons between larger tournaments. Only two teams per gym will be allowed to compete at the same time. Consequently, when one reads about the scheduling of a triad or quad, participants will have staggered time frames to allow preceding competitors to vacate the venue and allow for cleaning of the facility before the next event can proceed.

Smaller class B-C wrestling teams like the Mission-Charlo co-op and Arlee often have held multi-team mixers. These formats will be allowed to proceed, but the scope of these will now be scaled back and capped at no more than 40 wrestlers competing with the proviso that this arrangement meets with approval by local county health. Each wrestler can only wrestle twice during these events.

Wrestling pandemic casualty list

• Owen Invitational Dec. 5 at Polson
• Holiday Classic Dec. 18-19 at CMR
• Western Montana Duals at Ronan, Jan. 8-9
• Rocky Mountain Classic at Missoula, Jan. 15-16
• Tri-State at Coeur d'Alene
• Class A Duals at Lewistown, scaled back and modified

Social distancing guidelines and the wearing of face coverings is now standard operating procedure. Fans may wish to check ahead of time with the school hosting an event about whether there will be limitations on attendance. Much will be contingent upon local conditions and may vary over the course of the season, depending upon circumstances at that time.

Postseason formats (and possibly dates) for winter sports will be evaluated according to the conditions at the time. If the curve of the virus flattens, then current venues assigned to host postseason events are liable to proceed as planned.

Despite the grey clouds of this pandemic, the silver lining among precautions might be the heightening of hygiene awareness. It is hoped that multiple people foregoing the drinking out of the same bottle, frequent hand washing along with other sanitizing practices, more stringent cleaning of surfaces and limited interpersonal contact will not only reduce vulnerability to novel Coronavirus exposure, but may also help scale back the impact of winter cold and flu season.

The interruptions to sports scheduling when teams are forced to rotate out of competition for a handful of weeks at a time seems preferable to this writer than the alternative of cancelling a season altogether as took place last spring when track, tennis and softball seasons were shelved in their entirety at a time when but a faction of the cases were circulating then.

A list of MHSA guidelines specific to each sport can be viewed at their website.