Wake is banning fans from school athletic events and canceling this women’s sport
The Wake County school system is banning spectators from athletic events and is temporarily canceling a women’s athletic program due to COVID-19 concerns.
In an update posted Thursday, Wake announced that spectators will not be permitted at athletic practices or competitions for an indefinite period of time. Instead, Wake says athletic directors will share with families information about a live-streaming service that will be in place for competitions held in gyms or in outdoor stadiums.
Wake is also investigating whether it can stream athletic events held at other locations.
“We understand that parents want to see their student-athletes compete,” Wake posted in its update. “However, our top priority will always be the health and safety of our community.
“Reducing the potential for COVID-19 cases related to athletics increases the chances that we will be able to continue athletic activities this school year so that our students can participate.”
STUNT, some competitions canceled
The women’s sport of STUNT, a form of competitive cheerleading, is another victim of COVID-19. Wake says it won’t offer STUNT this school year due to “concerns about the close contact required for the sport” and a potential shortage of participants.
“Most STUNT athletes also participate in cheerleading, and the compressed athletics schedule would create an overlap in the seasons, which would not allow adequate time to safely prepare to participate,” the district said.
High school sports seasons are being compressed due to COVID-19. Wake began offering STUNT in 2015 to settle a federal discrimination complaint filed against North Carolina’s largest school district.
The school district is also canceling the Wake County Track Meet Competition and the Wake County Cheerleading Competition this school year “to avoid large gatherings of student-athletes from multiple schools.”
COVID-19 safety reminders for athletes
The Wake County school system has reported 25 confirmed COVID-19 case since Oct. 26, including several involving high school student athletes.
On Thursday, Wake reminded student-athletes of the health and safety protocols that they must follow, including:
▪ Stay home if they have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher or have other COVID-19 symptoms such as a new cough or loss of sense of taste or smell.
▪ Wear a face covering over their nose and mouth at all times, unless they are engaged in athletic activity.
▪ Workouts are not to exceed 25 people at indoor events and 50 people at outdoor locations. This total includes both student-athletes and coaches.
▪ Coaches are to remind players that high-fives, fist bumps, handshakes and other forms of direct physical contact are not allowed.
Student clubs, groups allowed back on campus
But in some good news, Wake also announced Thursday that student clubs and organizations can resume meeting on campus if they maintain health and safety guidelines.
But these groups must follow rules such as:
▪ Club and organization advisors must heed social distancing guidelines when planning meetings.
▪ Meeting agendas should have specific time limits to ensure social distance is maintained.
▪ Face coverings must be worn at all times.
▪ Groups working together on projects or in practices will be limited to 25 people if inside school buildings and 50 if outside of school buildings.
▪ Club and organization advisors have the option of hosting virtual meetings, but such meetings cannot be recorded.
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Wake is banning fans from school athletic events and canceling this women’s sport."
