Give us a Chance...

[Jacobshook]

Not trying to ruffle too many feathers here but.... Is it just me, or does it seem as though our leadership should begin discussions about options to push our season to Spring for 2020-2021?
In my opinion, that would be the ONLY way to give kids a SMALL CHANCE at a wrestling season sanctioned by NCHSAA.
Ive heard 2nd and 3rd hand that our leadership "feels like we will have a regular start date with restrictions in place". I just feel like that is unrealistic.
Anyone got any thoughts?

[Coach Atwood]

My bet is, if there are no fall sports, then most likely there won't be any winter sports.  With the recent comments by the leader of the NC DHHS stating that COVID numbers in NC are rising again, which may lead to another stay at home directive,  that leads me to believe school would also not be in regular session come August.  The Governor has even stated as much regarding school not starting as normal in August.  Obviously, if we are not allowed to attend school regularly there won't be any fall sports.  Not meaning to be negative, or pessimistic, but these are realities we're facing based on what we're hearing from people in position in Raleigh.

[Fwrogers]

Below are some options i've thought of as possible alternatives to present as options to be flexible and help ensure we have as much of a season as possible if forced to go beyond Option 1 which would be a normal season.

Obviously option 1. would be season as normal but should that not be possible couldn't we present them with some options preemptively to hopefully allow us a better chance at a season?

Some ideas that I've come up with are listed below. We can mix and match these with normal season min and maximums and hopefully come up with something that works for our sport.

Shortened season options:
Start after thanksgiving
start after 1st semester ends

Match limit options:
35 match limit this season
25 match limit season

Daily shortened match limit options:
4 match maximum per day
3 match maximum per day

Travel
No out of state travel
no out of state team can travel into the state

all this assumes that we are coming up with standard cleaning procedures to present as well. For instance must have cleaning products for each mat/match hand sanitizer, defense soap wipes etc.... limit hand shaking pre/post match to limit contact

[Longdayrunner]

Even if some of the above options could be implemented, when one wrestler contracts COVID-19, the School will shut down the rest of the season for the team.  Until there is a a readily available vaccine and all members of the team are vaccinated and after a fifteen day waiting period,  I don't see the NCHSAA going ahead with the season.  Remember, there will be no cure for COVID-19, only a way to manage contracting it.

If a vaccine is readily available even as late as March 1, 2021; you still could put together a full season.  And a modified season could be put together starting in April or May of 2021.  I don't see a modified season starting in June of 2021.

The big test will be college football and basketball and how each university or college handles infected members of the team and how that affects their season.

And, when will the NCAA start college wrestling.

[Jacobshook]

These are all great points and opinions.
The question is, can we be exploring what it would look like to move our season to the spring? Pros and cons? What are some Obstacles that NC Wrestling coaches aren’t aware of? Is it possible to plan? Let’s not be reactive with this.

[Jacobshook]

The Governor has 3 options to return to school. He will announce one of these choices on July 1. What kind of options is the NCHSAA looking at for sports? Transparency and a timeline after his announcement next week would be amazing..... is that asking too much?