SALEM, Va. (WFXR) — The Roanoke Valley Sports Club held its first in-person meeting since the pandemic started.
The topic? Restarting the high school football season.
A panel of coaches from the area, including Hidden Valley’s Scott Weaver, Patrick Henry’s Alan Fiddler, Salem’s Don Holter, North Cross’ Stephen Alexander and Glenvar’s Kevin Clifford, discussed their plans to return to the field and how practices are being conducted in the age of COVID-19.
“We’re talking to schools and figuring out who is using what strategies to mitigate risk and protecting kids and their futures,” Alexander said. “Ultimately, we could have a season if our kids are safe and our teachers are safe.”
While the VISAA, the private schools’ governing body for sports, has yet to make plans for competing in the fall public, the Virginia High School League is set to decide on a model for returning to competition in a meeting next Monday. A popular option appears to be one that shortens all three sports seasons, with play beginning with winter sports in December. Football would be played from February to May.
None of the models have football happening in the fall.
Holter told attendees of Monday’s meeting that his team is solely focusing on what it can control.
“March through really July, July 1st, has been frustrating because football for us is a community and it’s a family,” Holter said. “Our Spartans know that there’s going to be a football season sometime and I tell them just what I told the folks in there. That what we have control over is our preparation.”
