The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association continues to revise its schedules for sports seasons in the upcoming 2020-21 school year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The WIAA announced it will sanction four seven-week seasons during a meeting July 21 but has since revised the sports schedule that will take place each season.
According to the updated information, the fall sports season, which will tentatively begin Sept. 7, will comprise of cross country, slowpitch softball, golf and tennis, all as alternative seasons. While the WIAA has offered alternate seasons for golf and tennis in the fall as an option for schools that would like to have regular season prior to state championships in the spring, this year alternate seasons are offered for cross country and slowpitch softball, which will have postseason events at the end of season 3.
WIAA Season 2, tentatively set to begin Dec. 28, will consist of basketball, bowling, boys swim and dive, gymnastics and wrestling.
WIAA Season 3 will consist of volleyball, girls and 1B/2B boys soccer, football, girls swim and dive, cheerleading, cross country and slowpitch softball. All sports except for football in season 3 are tentatively set to begin March 1. Practices for the football, however, are set to begin Feb. 17. The early start will allow teams to have the increased number of practices required before the first competition, which begin the same week as other season 3 teams.
WIAA Season 4 is tentatively set to begin April 26 and will be comprised of tennis, fastpitch softball, track and field, baseball, golf, 1A-4A boys soccer and dance/drill.
Participation in any sports, however, depends on county progression through the phases established in Gov. Jay Inslee's Safe Start plan.
The benchmarks for Season 1 to begin are phase 3 for all the sports, except for golf, which may begin in phase 2. If competition can begin, girls slowpitch participants must wear masks.
For further guideline information, go to the WIAA website, www.wiaa.com.