musd high schools hopeful for the return of sports The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section approved a 2020-2021 sports calendar and has left it up to individual leagues to plan and create their schedules. Leagues will determine schedules based on the state’s colored-tier system. As of February 5, San Joaquin remains in the most restrictive purple tier where only low-contact, outdoor sports are allowed. Other guidelines created by the Section include: •
Certain sports may start as early as February 4 and end as late as June 12.
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Schools in one county may only travel to adjacent counties in the same-colored tier.
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Playoffs for the 2020-2021 season have been cancelled.
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Students may only participate in one sport at a time.
“The VOL has welcomed Escalon, Ripon, and Ripon Christian High Schools to compete in this year’s sports season. This will allow our schools to limit travel for competitions, and reduce non-league contact,” explained Andrew Lee. With the addition of these three high schools, the number of teams in the Valley Oak League is now 10. If each team were to play against each other at least once (depending on which sport is being played), each of this year’s sports seasons would only be one week shorter than those in a typical year. “While all CIF playoffs have been cancelled, the VOL is working on creating a championship schedule to crown a league champion for every sport at the end of each season,” Andrew Lee added.
The 2019 Lathrop and Sierra High water polo teams fight for the ball. *Photo does not reflect current COVID-19 guidelines.
and cheerleading, may begin competition.
Four out of five MUSD high schools compete in the Valley Oak League, while Lathrop High is part of the Western Athletic Conference. MUSD’s High School Athletic Directors have met with their prospective leagues in quick response to the Sac-Joaquin Section’s new guidelines.
“At the VOL meeting, our first action was to create a schedule with student opportunity as a priority,” said Sierra High School Athletic Director, Andrew Lee. “We decided to split the sports calendar into 2 seasons with sports like Track and Field and Cross Country in different seasons.”
California high schools have not competed in sports since March of last year. The new guidelines give the possibility of purple-tiered sports to begin in the Sac-Joaquin Section after almost a year of absence. Cross-country, golf, swimming, tennis, and track and field are the six sports allowed to begin while San Joaquin remains in the Purple Tier. Many are hopeful that the county could transition into the red tier after the number of COVID-19 cases have seen a decline since the holiday season. In this case, outdoor moderate-contact sports such as baseball, softball,
Because a student may only participate in one sport at a time, 2 seasons for the 2020-2021 calendar year would accommodate athletes who want to compete in multiple sports, as well as reduce the number of teams needing the same facilities, fields, and transportation. Season 1 of the VOL schedule spans from February 3 to April 2, with Season 2 beginning March 22 and ending June 4. The VOL aims to have as close to a full season as possible.
Chuck Selna, Athletic Director at Lathrop High School, has been in discussion with the Western Athletic Conference to put together a schedule as well. “We are excited to see our students out there competing and having fun again,” said Chuck Selna. “It’s been a while since they have been able to enjoy the company of teammates, coaches, and friends.”
availability, and student opportunity. In some cases, high school sports positively impact school spirit and student pride. Without Friday night lights, cross-town rivalry games, and track and swim meets, some students are deeply missing the sense of togetherness and comradery that surround athletics. “For many students, sports serve as an outlet. Practices and games are a place where an athlete can forget about drama or problems outside of the sport,” stated J.J. Ramirez, Athletic Director at East Union High School. “Sports also give students an opportunity to socialize with friends and teammates that share the same interests.” As Andrew Lee summarized, “Not having sports for almost a year affects everyone, not just the athletes. Students, staff on campus, and members of our school communities have all missed out on many activities and opportunities over the past year. Hopefully, by bringing sports back safely, we may begin to feel a sense of normalcy again.”
As opposed to the VOL, the Western Athletic Conference is planning one long season with game schedules already set for sports allowed in the purple tier, while still in the process of finalizing schedules for sports that can take place in different tiers. Purple tier sports will occur in a specific order, with cross country, girls tennis, and girls golf played first, followed by swimming, track and field, boys tennis, and boys golf. The structure of the season was determined based on several factors, including facilities use, coaching
The 2019-2020 Manteca High Girls Tennis Team *Photo does not reflect current COVID-19 guidelines.