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NCCSA to Begin Sports without Spectators

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Jun 1, 2001
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With seasons starting next week, NCCSA to play fall sports without spectators



By Paul Durham paul@wilsontimes.com | 265-7808


Even as North Carolina is poised to relax restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Carolina Christian School Association was already busy making sure it would be able to have a fall sports season.

With games set to begin next week, the NCCSA released Monday its guidelines for reopening fall athletics, including a somewhat strict policy on mass gathering limits. Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday afternoon that the state would move into “Phase 2.5” on Friday, raising the gathering limits to 25 inside and 50 outside. The NCCSA had already mapped out a plan to play under Cooper’s Phase 2 restrictions.

“We’re tied to the gathering limits, but just because he does raise the gathering limit, it does not necessarily mean we’re moving to the next step,” said Wilson Christian athletic director and girls basketball coach Brian Trull, who serves as the NCCSA’s state athletic commissioner. “So, what we’re trying to do is make sure we had a path forward to play, even if the governor did not change the gathering limit. So that was, that was the goal of what we did.”

The association will utilize a color-coded system (red, yellow, blue and green) to govern the number of spectators at all athletic contests. The NCCSA will begin the year in the red zone, meaning that only essential team personnel and no spectators will be allowed. The next zone is yellow, which adds immediate family members of the home team up to the state maximum gathering limits. The third zone, blue, allows for immediate family of both teams while the final zone, green, removes all restrictions of number of spectators.

Trull said the decision to limit spectators came from consultation with the state government and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, as well as with the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. The NCISAA just announced it was not allowing spectators at its fall sports contests, but didn’t offer a graduated timetable as the NCCSA has done.

“The goal is to be able to allow our kids to compete as safely as possible,” Trull said. “And so, whatever we have to do to make that happen — if it means we have no fans to start with and obviously, that’s what we’re going to do — then we will move forward as we see that we get safe outcomes. You know, if we start playing and there’s problems, then obviously we may have to step back, but by all accounts, it looks like we’re going to be able to move forward safely. And it actually gives us some time without fans to understand what that’s going to look like. And then, as I said, if we’re able to do that safely then I think you’ll see down the road we will be able to allow fans in some form or fashion.”

However, the decision was likely not met with agreement by all NCCSA member schools.





“I think what you’ll find is that some people are very pleased with what we’re doing,” Trull said. “Other people are probably completely displeased, but the large majority you’re going to find in the middle. And I think the large majority also understands that what we’re trying to do is give these kids as normal an educational experience as we can.”

Trull pointed out that Wilson Christian has begun in-person learning but that comes with certain restrictions, like not allowing parents to eat lunch with their children at the school and limiting all outside visitors, as well as keeping classes smaller so social distancing norms can be met.

“We limit those things and it’s really just an extension of what I think we’re doing on an educational level that extends to athletics,” he said. “Just as with other things that we see as things change, you know, we hope to have the opportunity to allow parents to return.”

In addition to no spectators for now, the other restrictions maintain that all spectators and nonparticipating personnel must wear a mask when attending indoor events “if masks are mandated from the state level.” All who enter the arena will have their temperatures take and social distancing will be in place.

To ensure that schools comply, the NCCSA stated that schools who are not meeting the requirements, after an initial warning, will be given a $500 fine and will forfeit any games played under violation. A third violation would result in another $500 fine and suspension for the rest of the season.

The association also urged member schools to stream athletic events online and make the stream available to the visiting team’s fans.

Wilson Christian is set to kick off its athletic year on Tuesday, Sept. 8, with home boys soccer and volleyball matches at the middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels, as well as a cross-country meet at Sanford.

The NCCSA also announced that its championship games for volleyball and boys soccer were moved back one week to Saturday, Oct. 31.
 
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