High school sports in Saskatchewan will now be starting at the end of September.
The Saskatchewan High School Athletic Association adjusted the start dates and made other changes after consultations with the provincial government. The most noticeable change is that the golf season has been cancelled.
“The Executive believed that the restrictions related to the reopening of schools would not allow for a safe and effective qualification process leading to a provincial championship event,” SHSAA Executive Director Lyle McKellar says in a statement. “This is very disappointing for SHSAA, the schools, and students that were hoping to participate in a fall golf season.”
Training for cross country, soccer and football will now have a starting date of September 28th. Soccer competition will start on October 5th and run until October 31st. The football season will start on October 13th with the final day of play on November 14th. The cross country season will end on October 17th.
Due to the increased risk of transmission in indoor settings, volleyball will begin October 13th with competitions starting on October 19th and running until November 28th. The SHSAA says it will give school divisions more time to develop effective protocols around sanitization and hygiene. The association is able to sanction modified tournaments, but aren’t able to provide playoff structure leading to provincial championships.
Starting September 14th, student athletes will be taught the COVID-19 precautions and return-to-play protocols. Students will also be limited to participating in one sport for the fall season.