The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association held a special meeting Friday, May 22, to discuss plans to resume high school activities June 1. Board members analyzed the plan and voted it down in a 7-6 decision. With the board’s rejection of the plan, high school activities can resume on June 1 in accordance with current OSSAA policies and rules stated in the Administrators Handbook. No COVID-19 restrictions will be in place once sports resume.
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association held a special meeting Friday, May 22, to discuss plans to resume high school activities June 1. Board members analyzed the plan and voted it down in a 7-6 decision. With the board’s rejection of the plan, high school activities can resume on June 1 in accordance with current OSSAA policies and rules stated in the Administrators Handbook. No COVID-19 restrictions will be in place once sports resume.
OSSAA Executive Director opened the meeting and discussed the reasoning and work that went into creating the three-phased plan which would have laid out protocols for schools to follow leading up the fall season.
“The membership wanted our leadership in these times and we’ve tried to step up and provide that,” Jackson said. “The thing that we have concluded in trying to provide that leadership is that we got through the spring, we focused on the fall. What can our summer look like?”
The OSSAA developed a plan that outlined suggestions and recommendations for teams and coaches to follow throughout the summer period. Broken down into phases, the OSSAA gathered information from other states, national sports agencies and health experts to provide safe protocols that protect athletes.
“I know as a staff and as a board, we don’t want to have to tell anymore kids that you can’t have your season,” Jackson said. “That you can’t have your state tournament. We hope we never have to do that again, so that was kind of our guide as we work through this.”
After discussing the different phases recommended from OSSAA, board members discussed the possibility of speeding up the timeline and providing more leeway for schools to set their own restrictions. SE Quadrant, Division III Board Member Rick Pool declared a motion, which was seconded by Dr. Mike Simpson, that would pass the guidelines and allow OSSAA to review them at their June 9 meeting. Members voted down the proposal in a one-vote decision, 7-6.
Members that voted no on the motion were: Craig McVay of El Reno, Jason Sternbeerger of Kingfisher, Jerry Needham of Oktaha, Rusty Puffington of Leedey, Bryan McNutt of Antlers, Rex Trent of Binger-Oney and Don Schneberger of Boone-Apache.
Those that voted yes were Pool, Simpson, Darren Melton from Lincoln Christian, Duane Merideth of Durant, Jerry Olanson of Glenpool and Dr. Sean McDaniel from Oklahoma City Public Schools.
