KANSAS CITY, Kan. — For Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools, fall sports could be played in the spring, but questions remain on what that will look like.
Last week, the district's Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the Kansas State High School Activities Association's policy, which allows schools that are not playing in the fall, or cannot play, to move those sports to the spring semester.
What fall sports in the spring would look like is still up in the air, according to the district's athletic director.
“As far as what we’ll actually play, who we’ll play, when it will actually start, how many games, we’ll get into that as we get closer to spring," KCKPS Athletic Director Tammie Romstad said.
Romstad told 41 Action News that gating criteria would be created and used to determine which low- and high-risk sports could be played and when.
“We’re limited now because of the number of cases in the county per 100,000 are really high," Romstad said.
Next week, Romstad said conditioning and workouts will begin for athletes who have completed a physical and COVID-19 questionnaire.
“I definitely think it’s something they need. It’s definitely been very taxing on their minds to look around and see all the games going on and, of course, they’re not able to compete right now," said Camron Smith, head football coach at Washington High School.
Many students in the district are multi-sport athletes. Smith told 41 Action News he encourages his players to get involved in a second sport after football season and is hopeful student-athletes can do the same this spring.
“My goal as a head coach is to be very understanding of the athletes and even with the other coaches and make sure we can work together to do what’s best for the kid," Smith said.
Romstad said the district is working on ways to ensure students who play several sports do not have to choose.
“In this one-time, pandemic situation, I think we all, the students and especially our coaches, need to make the best of it," Romstad said. "We’re here for the kids. It’s about what the kids want and need and if we have kids that are competitive enough and want to compete in multiple sports in the spring, we need to make that happen for them."
