THUNDER BAY – High school sports have been put on pause once again.
David Pineau, head of the Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association, said with COVID-19 cases rising in Thunder Bay, the prudent course is to halt plans to return to action until it’s safe to do so.
Pineau said they were in the final stages of having a plan approved by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit when case numbers started to explode this week.
The city currently has 59 active cases, the most since the pandemic began in March.
The idea was a return-to-train plan that would allow student athletes from most high school sports to at least start to practice and continue training with the guidance of their coaching staff.
“It was training modules, where coaches would be able to access the facility to train, but once those numbers came up, I don’t think there was a comfort level by senior admin to carry forward,” Pineau said on Wednesday, after honouring long-time local high school coach Rob Murphy with the Ontario Federation of School Athletics Association’s prestigious Pete Beach award.
“The good news is I think we have a really innovative project that we’re working on eventually, but I can’t really share details yet.”
Pineau said the plan, which he hopes to roll out in the new year, is being done in conjunction with boards across the province and will look at ways of connecting teachers with athletes to do remote training in small areas, in a safe manner.”
Earlier this year Pineau had expressed optimism about the return of high school sports, and while he’s less optimistic now, he’s got his fingers crossed.
Students at both the elementary and high school competed in cross country events and the latter also held a golf competition, but team sports like football, volleyball and basketball have been sidelined, with public health guidelines and ministry of education cohort rules making it difficult to allow leagues to play.
In September, Pineau said he was hopeful football could return for a spring season.
Now everything is up in the air.
Pineau said rather than cautiously optimistic as he was two months ago, it’s more nervously optimistic today.
“It’s all going to be driven by the numbers and by the science. If there’s any window for us to compete, the message I’ve been giving to the schools and to the athletic directors, is let’s focus a little less on what we can provide in competition, but let’s look at other ways we can engage students,” he said.
Curling is the sport likeliest to return first, with cross-country skiing another possibility in January.
“I can’t see why we couldn’t do that safely.”
Pineau said he feels terribly for the student athletes, who are missing out on a year of competition, but the health and safety is paramount.
