While the high school spring sports season is on an extended hiatus due to measures taken to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Arizona Interscholastic Association hopes that it will resume.
Following the announcement from Gov. Doug Ducey that schools throughout Arizona will be closed through at least Friday, March 27, the AIA has followed suit. Any games that were scheduled through at least Saturday, March 28 remain canceled. But in a statement released on the morning of Monday, March 16, the AIA announced that the spring championship season is still set to resume.
“The governor’s office and the state health department have recommended a two-week suspension of school and activities. If this timeframe holds true, it should hopefully not impact postseason tournaments,” the statement said. “We will keep all processes in place for postseason tournaments. If the spring championship season extends for any period of time, the AIA will be ready to conduct tournaments in their entirety.”
It will still be a while before high school sports resume. With the ban running through March 27, the earliest that any games will be played is Monday, March 30.
Even if sports do resume at that point, individual schools and districts could decide to extend the hiatus. Additionally, Monday’s statement reaffirmed the position the AIA took in a statement on Thursday, March 12 when it noted that “If events are canceled or changed specifically due to COVID-19, the AIA will waive the fees associated with this. Athletic directors at the member schools will follow regular procedures of canceling or changing events should this occur.”
When sports do resume, transfer students who were previously sidelined due to the AIA rule that said they must sit out 50% of the season will be able to participate in their sports — assuming all other eligibility requirements are met.
The AIA statement also added that “Our first objective is to get students back into the classroom and then have them return to the athletic arenas when appropriate. As Board members we will work diligently with our constituents to ensure a smooth transition back to school as usual.”
The first scheduled game following the closure for both the baseball and softball teams at Sedona Red Rock High School will be on the road against Valley Lutheran on Thursday, April 2. The softball game is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. while the baseball game is set to start at 6 p.m. Both teams are scheduled to be at home against North Pointe Prep on Saturday, April 4 with games set to start at 1 p.m.
The SRRHS golf team has a match scheduled on Monday, March 30 at 2:30 p.m. against Wickenburg and Camp Verde at Agave Highlands. The girls tennis team is also set to return to action on Monday, March 30 on the road against Northland Prep at 2 p.m. The Scorpions are lined up to host Basis Flagstaff on Saturday, April 4 at 10:30 a.m. The Sedona track team, meanwhile, is set to resume its schedule on Saturday, April 4 at 2 p.m. with a home meet against River Valley.
