The North Coast Section and Central Coast Section have approved plans for their member teams to return to action over the past couple of days. And while there are major similarities to the plans approved by the NCS and CCS, there are some key differences as well.
The main takeaway is that both sections will turn over scheduling to individual leagues within each section, allowing for flexibility of leagues to juggle sections in accordance with the tier-based guidelines set forth by the California Department of Public Health in December.
The result is that teams in the CCS can begin practicing as early as today while NCS teams can begin practicing February 1. The most likely scenario will involve teams from “lower risk” purple-tier sports such as cross country, track and field and swimming and diving to begin as soon as stay-at-home restrictions. Other sports in the red and orange tiers including football, soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball, will not be allowed to be contested until individual counties move out of the most dangerous purple tier. Boys and girls basketball are in the highest-risk yellow tier.
The NCS has ruled out playoffs for the entire sports calendar this season while CCS has cancelled playoffs for sports that will be contested in Season 1. The CCS has not ruled out playoffs for Season 2.
“There’s no way (playoffs in Season 1) were going to happen,” CCS commissioner Dave Grissom told the Bay Area News Group. “The purpose is to allow for more flexibility to create schedules to meet the needs of the schools.”
Serra football coach Patrick Walsh has led an effort to effectively remove the tier system through an organization he started called the Golden State High School Football Coaches Community, an advocacy group whose goal is to present a data-driven plea directly to the office of Governor Gavin Newsom with the hopes of influencing a return to action plan for high school sports in California.
Walsh recently appeared on a the "Beyond the Game" podcast along with Los Angeles Times prep reporter Eric Sondheimer discussing his group's plan.
Furthermore, on Friday a parent-led organization called "Let Them Play CA" organized rallies at high schools throughout California to advocate for a return to play during the pandemic.
Technically, the plan approved by the NCS Executive Committee still needs approval from the Board of Managers, but they are expected to sign off on the recommendation when they meet on January 29. The plan approved by the CCS Executive Committee is final.
The plan gives leagues “the autonomy to build their season of sport calendars around the guidance from the California Department of Public Health, the local counties that their league resides in, and the approval of their member schools and districts,” NCS commissioner Pat Cruickshank said in a memo to member schools. “If approved as presented, leagues will set their seasons of sport based on the color tier that their county resides in and the sports allowed in that tier.
“Purple sports will have the ability to go off first once the county and schools have approved it. Then once counties move into the red tirer, the league will be allowed to begin that season of sprort at a time that best fits them. The same will be done for the orange and yellow tier sports.”
Here is a complete list of sports by tier:
Purple (outdoor): Cross country, dance (no contact), golf, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field
Red (outdoor): baseball, cheerleading, field hockey, girls lacrosse, softball
Orange (outdoor): football, boys lacrosse, rugby, soccer, water polo,
Orange (indoor): badminton, dance (no contact), gymnastics, volleyball
Yellow (indoor): cheerleading, basketball, wrestling
