Student-athletes are required to be given frequent wellness evaluations if he or she participates in an optional workout.
CHAPEL HILL — N.C. High School Athletic Association Commissioner Que Tucker hosted a press briefing Wednesday morning to answer questions regarding the state of North Carolina athletics.
Tucker quickly killed any rumors of a major announcement, stating that any big announcement would first be told to the 421 member schools.
Instead, she said the briefing via Zoom was intended to give the media, “an opportunity to get firsthand information from the association and to ask any questions you may have.”
“We’re still getting numerous requests for interviews each week, sometimes on a daily basis, and unfortunately are just not able to accommodate all of these requests,” Tucker said, announcing that the association plans on holding these press briefings more often in the coming weeks.
Many school systems in the state began summer workouts either this week or had already done so before the NCHSAA’s mandatory dead period during the week of June 29 – July 3. The Association sent out a survey on July 7 asking district athletic directors whether or not they’ve started allowing workouts for fall sports.
As of 7:00 am on July 8, 72 of 162 total districts responded. Of the 72 respondents, 53 percent have started workouts. Thirty-six percent of athletic directors indicated that they have not started workouts, but do have a date set in the near future.
Student-athletes are required to be given frequent wellness evaluations if he or she participates in an optional workout. Tucker said that only four cases of student-athletes with COVID-19 have been reported to the NCHSAA, and even those were traced back to a location outside of the workout itself. For example, two of the cases were traced back to the student-athletes’ recent trip to Myrtle Beach.
“So, what we’re finding right now is that yes, there have been a few, but they were not spread by virtue of being in the workout sessions. So that’s a good thing,” Tucker said.
With so many schools projected to be holding workouts by the end of the month, many coaches, student-athletes and fans are anxiously awaiting the decision of whether or not school will start on time this year and in what capacity. Tucker reiterated that the NCHSAA will follow the orders of Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration.
“As you all know, Gov. Roy Cooper and his team, they have delayed the decision on how schools will reopen for the 2021 school year,” Tucker said. “We believe that education comes first and that athletics is an extension of the classroom, supporting and accentuating the lessons that are being learned in those classrooms.”
“We can tell you that we believe that the governor, unless he feels that conditions will allow students to return to some form of in-person learning safely, it is difficult to imagine that high school athletics will be able to resume any type of competition at our member schools. If it is unsafe for our students to be in school, then certainly the idea is that it would be unsafe for our students to be playing in those athletic venues.”
Fall sports are currently slated to begin official practices Aug. 1. A lot could change in the coming days and weeks, so Tucker wants to hold off on making life-altering decisions such as pushing the start date back.
“We’re not going to do anything that will compromise the health and safety of these young people,” Tucker said. “So, are you asking me are we prepared to move the start of false sports? Absolutely. We’re prepared, but we’re not moving it today because we don’t know what the reason to move it would be today.”
“Will I know next week? Perhaps. Will I know in two weeks? Hopefully so, and then we’ll make those decisions. But I’m not today, July 8, going to tell you that Aug. 1 is off the table. Because if I tell you that the next question is, ‘Well, if you’re not going to start Aug. 1, when will you start?’ I’m not going to tell you Aug. 1 is off the table until I can put another date in its place.”
As programs move forward into even more uncertainty, Tucker offered up an anecdote she took away from her time coaching with legendary N.C. State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow.
“One of the things that Coach Yow used to say a lot is that, you know, life is a journey. It’s not a destination, and I think there’s so many people that think that this particular moment in time is what I’m really focused on. So, my message is that if you are one of the school systems and you’ve started and you don’t have all of your teammates out there, just enjoy this moment – but that knowing that there is more to come. When will it come? We really don’t know. Enjoy each moment that you have.
“And if you happen to be one of those students and your school system has not allowed you to begin workouts yet, still enjoy the moment and to recognize that there are those people who are looking out for your best interest and trying to make decisions that will be the best for you.
“So, I think it’s incumbent upon our young people to perhaps do more than even we as adults do. I think it’s our adults who get so anxious and we’re worried about this, we’re worried about, ‘give me a date – tell me something.’ Let’s just live in the moment … you know there is still more to come. I’m on a journey, and as athletes in high school this is a journey. And that this, what we’re going through right now, is tough on all of us. But it’s going to pass, and life, hopefully it will continue. And how prepared will we be because of how we reacted to what we’re going through now?
“And so, I think that, you know, as individuals and us as the adults, we’ve got to be adults, and we have to role model what we believe to be the best decision making and to be the best behavior right now. And I think that’s why we’re in the problem we’re in. The situation we’re in right now is because we don’t own our own actions and we won’t do the things that we need to do. And until that happens, I think we’ll struggle.”
Reach Cory on Twitter @MrCoryLeeSmith