High school sports get green light for fall season

By Mark Ribble

REGIONAL — Area high school athletics coaches are busy posting tryout and participation posters on bulletin boards as local school sports prepare for the launch of their fall season.

Jim Kittl, President of the Windsor Essex County Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WECSSAA), says team practices have begun at some schools, while others are waiting to see if the numbers are there.

“It’s too early to tell if the vaccine mandate will affect the numbers,”said Kittl, who is a former coach at Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School in Leamington.

He noted that the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s mandate that all high school athletes, coaches and volunteers show proof of full vaccination is being adhered to by the local school boards.

A total of 29 schools normally compete in WECSSAA sports and Kittl says this year’s participation will be contingent upon local vaccination rates, which vary from school-to-school.

“Some of the smaller schools may find it a challenge,” he said.

For Bill Toews, Principal at Kingsville District High School, a lot of planning has occurred over the past few weeks in order to get all extra-curriculars off the ground.

“We’ve had a pretty good response from our students,” says Toews.

He also indicated that the same rules apply for clubs and organizations such as chess club, debate club and the social justice club.

KDHS expects to start practices this week for the sports teams, once the school board verifies students vaccination status.

He says their main focus is on student safety.

“We want to do it right and make sure it’s safe,” he said. “This provides us with an opportunity to open up even more activities.”

Toews says that KDHS expects boys volleyball to start first along with girls basketball and hockey.

Over at LDSS, Health and Phys Ed head Tony Nurse says they will start with girls basketball and boys volleyball. Curling, swimming and girls hockey are shooting for a February launch.

The official fall season for WECSSAA sports is scheduled to start on November 22.

The plan is to wait and see about the winter and spring sports seasons based on how the fall pans out.

There will be no play beyond WECSSAA, so SWOSSAA and OFSAA competition will not take place this year.