DENVER — The wait is finally over.
The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) released its 2020-21 athletics and activities calendar on Tuesday afternoon, which brings some significant changes.
The biggest being multiple fall sports -- football, field hockey, gymnastics, boys soccer and girls volleyball -- getting bumped from their typical fall seasons to spring.
Also significant is a multiple-month break between high school sports following the end of softball season on October 10 through January 4 when multiple winter sports begin.
Moving forward as usual this fall will be cross country, boys golf, boys tennis and softball -- all of which have been considered lower-risk sports related to coronavirus concerns.
"As you can imagine it's been a whirlwind since my meeting with the governor this morning, but it's actually been a whirlwind since March when high school athletics across the nation we're hit with the COVID-19 pandemic," Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green said in a call with local media on Tuesday afternoon.
Blanford-Green emphasized these changes were tough to make and knows they are not perfect, but also says this situation is unprecedented.
“Everything’s not ideal. Anytime you go outside of the norm it’s not ideal, right? We’re a 100-year-old association. Our norms are set for us, our seasons are set for us, but at the end of the day we’re in a pandemic and we’re charged with creating opportunities for our kids within the state guidelines," Blanford-Green said.
And while these decisions were made largely with (and by) the state, Blanford-Green was appreciative CHSAA had some say in the matter.
“I want to thank the state officials and I do want to thank the Colorado Department of Health. We talked through many things and I really felt gratitude to have a voice at the table. That’s not what’s happening across the nation," she said. "We have governors making decisions about where high school athletics will be based upon the cohorts that are in the state department and they don’t reach out to their state organization.”
Due to the restrictive nature of the current state guidelines, and the ability to follow Colorado Department of Education requirements, all contact sports have been moved to a season which will commence later in the calendar, and allow for playoffs and culminating events without creating new conflicts.
"The health and safety of our student participants, coaches, officials and essential personnel, including volunteers is a primary concern for the return of interscholastic athletics and activities," Blanford-Green said in her initial statement via a CHSAA release.
The Association has also stated that "the resumption of any activity or sport is subject to change based upon any changes to national, state or local guidelines."
SPORTS/ACTIVITIES STATUS
- Baseball: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Basketball (boys and girls): Teams can begin practice on Jan. 4, followed by competition on Jan. 7.
- Unified bowling: Teams can begin practice on March 1, followed by competition on March 4.
- Cross country: Teams can begin practice as scheduled beginning Aug. 12, followed by competition on Aug. 15.
- Field hockey: Teams can begin practice on March 1, followed by competition on March 4.
- Football: Teams can begin practice on Feb. 22, followed by competition on March 4. Only eight teams per classification will make the playoffs, a noteworthy changed CHSAA announced on Tuesday afternoon.
- Boys golf: Practice will start as scheduled on Aug. 3, with competition scheduled to begin Aug. 6.
- Gymnastics: Teams can begin practice on March 1, followed by competition on March 4.
- Ice hockey: Teams can begin practice on Jan. 4, followed by competition on Jan. 7.
- Boys lacrosse: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Girls lacrosse: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Music: Following a typical schedule.
- Skiing: Teams can begin practice on Jan. 4, followed by competition on Jan. 7.
- Boys soccer: Teams can begin practice on March 1, followed by competition on March 4.
- Girls soccer: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Softball: Teams can begin practice as scheduled beginning Aug. 10, followed by competition on Aug. 13.
- Speech Festival: Teams can begin practice on Oct. 1.
- Speech Tournament: Teams can begin practice on Nov. 1.
- Competitive Spirit: Teams can begin practice on Jan. 4, followed by competition on Jan. 7.
- Sideline Spirit: Teams can begin practice on Jan. 4.
- Student Leadership: Following a typical schedule.
- Boys swimming: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Girls Swimming: Teams can begin practice on Jan. 4, followed by competition on Jan. 7.
- Boys tennis: Teams can begin practice as scheduled beginning Aug. 10, followed by competition on Aug. 13.
- Girls tennis: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Track and field: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Boys volleyball: Teams can begin practice on April 26, followed by competition on April 29.
- Girls volleyball: Teams can begin practice on March 1, followed by competition on March 4.
- Wrestling: Teams can begin practice on Jan. 4, followed by competition on Jan. 7.
>>>Video above: CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green answers many questions about the 2020-21 seasons in an interview with Arielle Orsuto.
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