Bay Area High School sports won't resume on Monday

High school athletes in California were supposed to return to competition on Monday, but that won’t happen in the Bay Area.

Until the state lifts its stay-at-home orders, only low-risk sports teams like golf, tennis, cross-country and swimming will be allowed to practice. Most of them won’t start until next Monday, at the earliest.

Stay-at-home rules prevent any California Interschool Federation games, although two private school football teams in Orange County played on Jan.16.

Capistrano Valley coaches Christian and Calvary Chapel later called it a glorified scrum in uniforms and equipment.

“Encouraged to be 1-0, but prouder of the adversity these young men went through and the challenge they took on,” tweeted Eric Preszler, Christian coach and sporting director of Capistrano Valley.

On Tuesday, the CIF, the state’s governing body for high school sports, sternly warned of sanctions including, but not limited to, “fines, suspension or dismissal.”

In a note, Executive Director Ron Nocetti wrote that the CIF is “bound by the orders, regulations and directives” of the governor, the state health department and the state department of education, “and all leagues, districts and schools are expected to abide by their decisions. “

The vast majority of CIF’s 1,600 schools complied with the orders, Nocetti wrote.

“While the CIF understands that the postponement of interschool athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on all of our member schools and student-athletes. … Compliance by our member schools with the CRPD guidelines on youth sports is compulsory and not discretionary.

Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod ruled that Nocetti’s warning was sufficient and did not punish the schools that played: “I believe they fully understand the relevant regulations that are involved, and I am convinced that this will not happen again.

Letter to Newsom: The newly formed 700-member Golden State HS football coaching community, led by Patrick Walsh from Serra and Justin Alumbaugh from De La Salle-Concord, plus the 46,000 parent-led members Facebook group “Let Them Play CA” sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday. The group asked to come together to “provide the best way forward” for the state’s young athletes.

Advocacy groups are calling for youth sports to resume immediately and be detached from the current color scheme. The groups want these factors to be considered: the success of other states, the relative safety of California soccer practice, the impacts on youth mental health, and the impacts on low-income children.

Walsh said on Saturday that a meeting was still ongoing. He was encouraged to know that three other states – Arizona, Illinois and New York – had plans to start or continue the sport.

Last week, the Arizona Interscholastic Association, under public outcry, overturned a decision to cancel winter sports and began practicing. Illinois and New York on Friday gave the green light to all high school sports – including those deemed “high risk” – starting next week.

“These are different regions, and we don’t know how that translates, but it’s encouraging,” Walsh said. “We’re running out of time in California.”

Extending football’s end date could help save the season, even if it is short, coaches say. They are advocating to extend it beyond April 17 in the Central Coast and North Coast sections and to postpone the start of the 2021 fall season. They are also pushing the CRPD to allow football to be played in the counties of …