The Kansas State High School Activities Association Executive Board today unanimously supported delaying the start of winter games until mid-January.
The proposal will go to the full KSHSAA Board of Directors for consideration, according to a news release. That board will meet at 1 p.m. Nov. 24 in a virtual meeting.
The KSHSAA Executive Board reviewed data including elevated positivity rates of COVID-19, the effect of other illnesses on top of COVID-19 on the overburdened health care system, and moving activities indoors, according to the announcement.
Under the proposal, high school competitions for all winter activities would be delayed until Friday, Jan. 15; winter activity practice could continue where appropriate through Dec. 22; and a winter moratorium would be extended from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3, with practices resuming Jan. 4.
Also, the proposal supports no fans for competition from Jan. 15 to 28; limited fans from Jan. 29 through the rest of the winter competitions; and mandatory masking except for athletes in competition and officials during live action. There would be no invitational tournaments.
The proposal also has competition maximum limits on the number of games or events per team.
There also were proposed restrictions for middle school, including no competition in December, and also none from Jan. 1 through Jan 14; no events with more than three schools; intramural play only strongly encouraged; and limit of two fans per player starting Jan. 15.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools board on Nov. 10 voted to start practices Jan. 4, with games beginning Jan. 18. (See https://wyandotteonline.com/kck-school-board-approves-winter-sports/)