WIAA moves high school spring sports up, winter sports to final season
Fall sports, spring sports, winter sports.
That will be the order in which high school sports are played during shortened seasons beginning in February, after a vote from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Executive Board on Tuesday evening.
The WIAA recently announced traditional fall sports would be up first and now, on Tuesday’s meeting, laid out a framework for leagues around the state to follow.
Season 2, which will now include spring sports, will begin practices on March 15 and end May 1. Winter sports will now take place in the third and final season, beginning April 26 and ending June 12.
“Based on the risk levels assigned to traditional winter activities compared to traditional spring activities, the Executive Board made the decision that those spring activities will have the opportunity to play much earlier than winter activities,” WIAA Executive Director Mick Hoffman said in a release. “The Board will continue to monitor the status of activities over the coming months to ensure that those traditional spring sports receive a chance to participate.”
While the Executive Board has outlined the framework for a uniform season schedule, it has granted each WIAA league or district around the state the ability to reschedule seasons to best fit their local communities.
A full season calendar, as well as a summary of current guidelines issued by the Washington Department of Health, can be found on the WIAA’s COVID-19 Page.
South Sound area leagues will look a bit different this year. Olympia High School, part of the Class 4A South Puget Sound League, announced it will join the 3A South Sound Conference as a temporary member for the 2020-21 school year, joining other Thurston County Schools. Gig Harbor and Peninsula high schools, part of the 3A SSC, will join the 4A SPSL as interim members.
This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 10:08 AM with the headline "WIAA moves high school spring sports up, winter sports to final season."
