Following four days of controversy surrounding the decision to cancel the high school winter sports season, the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s executive board has changed its vote.

In a meeting held on Tuesday, Jan. 12, the AIA executive board voted to go on with the winter sports season. This followed a meeting held on Friday, Jan. 8, in which the board voted to cancel the season.

What brought about the change?

Quite simply, a great deal of outcry.

Shortly after the decision to cancel the season was announced, Sedona Red Rock High School’s boys varsity basketball team had a scrimmage against the junior varsity team. After that, the SRRHS girls teams practiced. The decision was not popular with those student athletes.

“Everyone on the basketball team would follow regulations, even if we had no friends or family watching us,” Lesly Suarez, a senior on the girls team, said. “We would be OK with anything, just as long as we play. I think it’s devastating for people around Arizona. I’m a senior and I know the majority of the boys team are seniors. It must be hard for them. A lot of those boys have been playing since elementary school.”

One of those senior boys, Joey Johnson, said that he was “at a loss for words,” though did succinctly say, “it sucks.”

“I couldn’t be more hurt,” Johnson’s teammate and fellow senior, Jamie Alagna, said. “I’ve been looking forward to this ever since my eighth-grade year. I was watching the seniors and couldn’t wait to become one of them. So, to have our senior season taken away, it hurts.”

The outcry extended outside of Sedona and Northern Arizona.

Shortly after Friday’s vote, Brandon Jackson, a senior basketball player at North Canyon High School in Phoenix, started a petition on Moveon.org asking for the board to re-vote. While the AIA is a private institution and therefore wouldn’t be beholden to any petition, it was hard to ignore the more than 40,000 people who had signed it by Sunday.

Additionally, a number of coaches and athletic directors throughout the state took to various social media channels in the hours following Friday’s vote announcing their intention to go forward with a season — with or without the AIA.

“Much like when you dam a river, the water has to go somewhere,” AIA board member and Flagstaff Athletic Director Jeannine Brandel said. “That’s the same with our students. We can cancel sports on our campuses. But they will still play.”

If sports continue under the AIA’s guidance, one of the prevailing sentiments is that it will be a lot more controlled than in any other scenario.

How did the vote go?

Like it did on Friday, the vote was 5-4 on Tuesday. This time it was in favor of going forward with a season.

The five people who voted in favor of going forward were Brandel, Chandler Unified School District Superintendent Camille Casteel, Dystart Unified School District Athletic Director Jim Dean, Chandler Unified School District Athletic Director Marcus Williams and Flowing Wells Unified School District Governing Board member Jim Love.

Those who originally voted to cancel were Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter, Superior Junior/Senior High School principal and athletic director William Duarte, Hopi High School Athletic Director Ricky Greer, Love and Phoenix Union High School Athletic Director Zach Munoz.

Love was the lone board member to change his vote, which was enough to change the results.

What modifications will there be?

Students, coaches and officials will wear masks throughout the contest. This includes players who are active in a game.

Additionally, up to two relatives will be permitted to spectate at events.

Those can be reconsidered in time if the COVID-19 numbers change.

Why was the season canceled to begin with?

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the recent spike of the virus throughout Arizona. The statement released by the AIA announcing the original decision added that the availability [or lack thereof] of hospital beds throughout the state would keep a student athlete injured in a game from receiving the care that he or she would need. Because of that, the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recommended that the season not go forward.

“SMAC recommended that hospital capacity be considered an important factor when considering the winter season,” Friday’s statement announcing the cancellation said. “This week, 93% of all Intensive Care Unit beds and 92% of all inpatient beds are in use, leaving concern that injured students may be unable to receive needed care due to a lack of beds or available medical professionals.”

SMAC Chairwoman Dr. Kristina Wilson added that the expectation that the COVID-19 rates will continue to increase from their already world-high levels was also a consideration.

“Unfortunately, it is expected that the state will see a continued rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations for some time,” Wilson said. “As medical professionals, we cannot in good conscience recommend that students engage in a winter season under the current conditions.”

There was additional concern that if the winter season was delayed instead of canceled, that it would keep the spring season from taking place.

Now that the winter season is not canceled, what’s next?

The winter season will officially get underway on Monday, Jan. 18. That was the most recent target date given prior to Friday’s vote.

Given that so little time passed between the vote and the re-vote, there was no need to delay the season any further.

The season will look a lot different than last season and the ones before. The biggest difference is that this year, there will be few, if any, spectators.

Media, though, will be allowed. While we can’t be at every game, the staff at the Sedona Red Rock News remains committed to covering the winter sports season as diligently as possible to keep the family, friends and other fans of the student athletes as up-to-date as possible on the seasons.