With the cancellation of many collegiate sports due to Covid-19 recently, high school winter sports are watching closely to see what might happen as over the last two seasons high school sports have followed suit and done what the colleges have done.
Spring sports last year, including baseball and softball, were cancelled which means those seniors did not have a chance to play their final year of high school ball. This was devastating for all seniors across the United States. Some went off to college to play while others realized they had stepped on the field for the final time.
But so far for this year, Northview has decided that they are going to be playing sports but with one catch – no fans. Only parents or close family members of the players will be able to attend the events such as those big football and basketball games. Media will be limited, but they will be allowed into the buildings to broadcast the games.
These decisions have come from watching the colleges as most are not allowing fans into their arenas for sporting events. Like NV, only parents and close family members will be allowed into the stadium to watch. Since the colleges came out with these standards and rules first, NV and Sylvania were influenced by them and decided to follow the rules that the colleges have set.
“We wanted to play in front of fans this year, but with the pandemic going on we just simply could not. We would be putting people at risk in a packed arena,” Athletic Director Chris Irwin said. Colleges across the country have followed these rules of no fans and most high schools have done the same, including NV. As for this season, and maybe the foreseeable future, no fans will be allowed into the gyms.
Although the players and coaches would prefer a sold out crowd at Jerry Sigler Court, they are just happy to have the opportunity to be playing basketball at the high school level. But NV is in the same position as most every other high school and college in the U.S.
