New executive order won't impact participation numbers for NCHSAA sports
Updated November 11, 2020 3:23 p.m. EST
By Nick Stevens, HighSchoolOT managing editor
https://www.highschoolot.com/new-executive-order-won-t-impact-participation-numbers-for-nchsaa-sports/19380568/CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The N.C. High School Athletic Association is not making changes to its guidance for indoor and outdoor workouts despite Governor Roy Cooper reducing the number of people allowed at indoor gatherings, but the mask policy for volleyball athletes could be changing.
On Tuesday, Cooper announced the number of people allowed at indoor gatherings would be reduced from 25 to 10, due to increasing concerns about growing spread of COVID-19.
The news came as the seven-day average of cases hit a high of 2,438 and 1,230 people were hospitalized, a record number since the pandemic began. 2,582 new cases and 45 more deaths were reported on Tuesday, and the number of hospitalization has been over 1,000 for a month, a higher and longer peak than this summer.
"The numbers remain troublingly high," Cooper said. "We need to focus on bringing our numbers down."
Cooper's new executive order will extend Phase 3 restrictions for amusement parks, gyms, movie theaters, restaurants, as well as outdoor areas of bars, night clubs, and entertainment and sports venues until 5 p.m. on Dec. 4, in addition to limiting indoor gatherings to ten people. However, Cooper said the greatest threat is not large crowds, but smaller gatherings, which he says he took into consideration when changing the guidelines.
NCHSAA officials reached out to the Department of Health & Human Services for clarification. DHHS has informed the association the new executive order will not apply to NCHSAA events.
The ten-person limit will not apply to the NCHSAA either. The association will continue to limit out-of-season workouts to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, while relaxing those numbers for participants when sports begin their regular season tryouts and practices. The number of fans will also remain limited to 25 at indoor events, which the NCHSAA previously announced. The number of fans at outdoor events will not be impacted either.
Soon, volleyball athletes could be required to wear a face mask, even while participating in physical activity. Current NCHSAA guidance requires athletes to wear a face mask unless they are actively involved in physical activity.
Some schools and school districts were already requiring masks to be worn during competition.
"We have had several reports of teams being quarantined, which will impact their first contests next week. A state mask requirement in volleyball could be forthcoming," NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker wrote in an email to members. "In the meantime, remember, that during the regular season, if a school/LEA requires its student athletes to wear masks during competition, the visiting team should be notified in advance as it will be expected to comply."Cross country and volleyball began regular season practices on Nov. 4, and are the only sports to start regular season activities so far. Competition in those two sports is slated to begin next week. No other sports have resumed in-season activities yet, but off-season workouts have been permitted since mid-June.