Revised CIF sports schedule places burden on local schools

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Local high school athletic directors, coaches and athletes will face some difficult decisions in adjusting to the revised CIF Southern Section sports calendar announced Monday.

The continued closure of high school campuses and concerns about social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decision by CIF-SS administrators to limit the upcoming sports season to approximately five months – from late December through late May. And that’s if county health restrictions are lifted in time for those abbreviated sports seasons to take place.

Rather than the traditional three sports seasons, CIF-SS Commissioner Rob Wigod on Monday announced the consolidation of all sports into two seasons – fall, lasting from late December through mid-March – and spring – lasting from mid-March through late May.

Thus there will be no sports contests held during the traditional fall months of September, October and November. Sports seasons will be held in the following months, as follows. Are you ready for high school football in January through March?

FALL SPORTS

BOYS/GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY
FIELD HOCKEY
11-MAN FOOTBALL
8-MAN FOOTBALL
GYMNASTICS
TRADITIONAL COMPETITIVE CHEER
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
BOYS WATER POLO
GIRLS WATER POLO

SPRING SPORTS

BADMINTON
BASEBALL
BOYS/GIRLS BASKETBALL
COMPETITIVE SPORT CHEER
BOYS/GIRLS GOLF
BOYS/GIRLS LACROSSE
BOYS/GIRLS SOCCER
SOFTBALL
BOYS/GIRLS SWIMMING/DIVING
BOYS TENNIS
GIRLS TENNIS
BOYS/GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
BOYS/GIRLS WRESTLING

The intent is to allow each sport to have as close to a normal length season as possible, while providing time for COVID-19 numbers to decrease. This leads to a number of challenges, obviously:

-- In some cases, head coaches will be in charge of two varsity teams at the same time of year.

-- Scheduling use of fields and gyms for practices and games could be a logistical nightmare.

-- Finding enough officials to work all those sports at once could be difficult.

-- The option for athletes to play multiple sports in the same school year will be reduced.

“I knew we were probably looking at starting sports in January, but the thing that caught me off guard was going from three seasons to two,” said Ryan Sharp, athletic director at Paloma Valley High School. “We have 27 sports at Paloma; it took me about three or four months to build every sport’s schedule. Now I have to do it all over again.”

Sharp isn’t as concerned about his own inconvenience as much as he is about the ability for schools to pull this whole thing off. First of all, where is he going to put all those teams needing to hold practices and games?

“There’s not a whole lot of extra field space at our school,” Sharp said. “Having boys and girls volleyball in the same season isn’t ideal, but we’ll deal with it (for gym time). But outside for spring sports, we’ll have boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls soccer, and boys and girls track and field that all use the stadium.

“We have an outer field, but it sometimes floods when it rains. But we’ll have to utilize stuff like that. I was out there today, walking the fields and trying to figure out every possible place I could paint a field.”

In addition, Sharp says four Paloma Valley coaches serve as head coaches of boys and girls sports that will now play during the same season. That includes Stephen Kaas, coach of a Wildcats girls volleyball team that has developed into a CIF power, and Lisa Sharp (wife of Ryan Sharp), who coaches both the boys and girls water polo teams.

Scott Moore faces similar challenges as the athletic director at Heritage High.

“Both our water polo teams use the Drop Zone, and so does Paloma,” Moore said. “I guess we all face the same challenges. We’re lucky we have a lot of field space, but this will still put a lot of stress on us to make it work.”

In a press conference on Monday, Commission Wigod said the announced CIF calendar represents the best way CIF officials felt they could accommodate all sports with as close to full seasons as possible, while leaving the fall months open as schools are expected to stay closed. He said it will be up to individual school districts to determine when campuses can open for classes, based on health guidelines, and sports couldn’t begin until then.

CIF has extended its summertime rules into the fall so that if districts allow students back on campus, teams could gather for preseason practice earlier than anticipated. At the same time, he said that if health guidelines remain the same in December, sports seasons would be pushed back and could ultimately be cancelled.

“We hope and expect we will be able to do this,” Wigod said. “We believe the student-athletes will be supportive of this plan, that they will appreciate that we’re not cancelling any sports.

“We also hope the adults will do everything they can to show a unified front. Student-athletes have been through a lot and they’re looking to us for a positive outlook. The last thing they need is a negative response to this.”

Wigod admitted that having some high school sports competing at the same time that club sports traditionally compete could force athletes to make a choice. He also said that “all options are on the table" for adjusting to this system, including holding football games on Saturday afternoon rather than Friday night during the colder months of January and February.

He also said the issue of whether spectators will be allowed at sports events will be determined by the individual schools and districts.

Here are the competition dates for each sport. Note: SOP Date refers to the end of the sit-out period for transfer students before they can join their new team:


FALL SPORTS

BOYS AND GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY
First Contest – Saturday, December 26, 2020
SOP Date – Friday, January 29, 2021 (35 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, March 4, 2021 (70 days)
Last Allowable Contest – Friday, March 5, 2021
CIF Southern Section Prelims – Friday/Saturday, March 12/13, 2021
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Saturday, March 20, 2021
CIF State Championships – Saturday, March 27, 2021

FIELD HOCKEY
First Contest – Friday, December 18, 2020
SOP Date – Friday, January 22, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, February 26, 2021 (71 days)
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, February 27, 2021

11-MAN FOOTBALL
First Practice Date - Monday, December 14, 2020
Week 1 Contest Date – Friday, January 8, 2021
SOP Date – Monday, February 8, 2021 (32 days)
Week 10 Contest Date – Friday, March 12, 2021 (64 days)
CIF Southern Section Playoffs – March 19, March 26, April 2, 2021
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, April 9/10, 2021
CIF State Championships Bowl Games – Friday/Saturday, April 16/17, 2021

8-MAN FOOTBALL
First Practice Date - Monday, December 14, 2020
Week 1 Contest Date – Friday, January 8, 2021
SOP Date – Friday, February 5, 2021 (29 days)
Week 9 Contest Date – Friday, March 5, 2021 (57 days)
CIF Southern Section Playoffs – March 12, March 19, March 26, 2021
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, April 2/3, 2021

GYMNASTICS
First Contest – Monday, January 4, 2021
SOP Date – Wednesday, February 3, 2021 (31 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, March 5, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, March 6, 2021 (62 days)

TRADITIONAL COMPETITIVE CHEER
First Contest Date – No Established Date
SOP Date – Monday, November 16, 2020
Last Allowable Contest Date – No Established Date
CIF Southern Section Championships – Saturday, April 3, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Championships – Saturday, April 17, 2021

BOYS VOLLEYBALL
First Contest Date – Saturday, December 12, 2020
SOP Date – Tuesday, January 12, 2021 (32 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, February 11, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, February 13, 2021 (64 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Saturday, March 6, 2021
CIF Southern Regionals – March 15-20, 2021

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
First Contest Date – Saturday, December 19, 2020
SOP Date – Tuesday, January 19, 2021 (32 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, February 18, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, February 20, 2021 (64 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, March 12/13, 2021
CIF State Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, March 19/20, 2021

BOYS WATER POLO
First Contest Date – Monday, December 21, 2020
SOP Date – Monday, January 11, 2021 (31 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, February 18, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, February 20, 2021 (62 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Saturday, March 6, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Finals – Friday/Saturday, March 19/20, 2021

GIRLS WATER POLO
First Contest Date – Monday, December 28, 2020
SOP Date – Monday, January 18, 2021 (31 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, February 25, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, February 27, 2021 (62 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Saturday, March 13, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Finals – Friday/Saturday, March 19/20, 2021


SPRING SPORTS

BADMINTON
First Contest Date – Saturday, March 6, 2021
SOP Date – Saturday, April 10, 2021 (36 days)
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 15, 2021 (71 days)
CIF Southern Regional Individual Qualifier – Wednesday/Thursday, May 26/27, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Championships – Saturday, May 29, 2021

BASEBALL
First Contest Date – Friday, March 19, 2021
SOP Date – Friday, April 23, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, May 28, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 29, 2021 (72 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, June 18/19, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Championship Finals – Saturday, June 26, 2021

BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL
First Contest Date – Friday, March 12, 2021
SOP Date – Friday, April 16, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, May 21, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 22, 2021 (72 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, June 11/12, 2021
CIF State Championship Finals – Friday/ Saturday, June 18/19, 2021

COMPETITIVE SPORT CHEER
First Contest Date – Saturday, March 27, 2021
SOP Date – Monday, May 1, 2020 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Saturday, June 5, 2021 (71 days)
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, June 5, 2021

BOYS AND GIRLS GOLF
First Contest Date – Saturday, March 20, 2021
SOP Date – Saturday, April 24, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, May 28, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, May 29, 2021 (71 days)
CIF Southern Section Individual Regionals – Monday, May 31, 2021
CIF Southern Section Team Championships – Monday, June 7, 2021
CIF-SS Individual Championship/Team Qualifier – Thursday, June 10, 2021
CIF/SCGA Southern Regional Championships – Thursday, June 17, 2021
CIF State Championships – Wednesday, June 23, 2021
(Note – CIF-SS Individual Championship/Team Qualifier, CIF/SCGA Regional Championships
and CIF State Championships dates are subject to change, due to course availability.)

BOYS AND GIRLS LACROSSE
First Contest Date – Friday, March 12, 2021
SOP Date – Monday, April 16, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, May 20, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 22, 2021 (72 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Saturday, June 12, 2021

BOYS AND GIRLS SOCCER
First Contest Date – Saturday, February 27, 2021
SOP Date – Saturday, April 3, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, May 6, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, May 8, 2021 (71 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, May 28/May 29, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Finals – Saturday, June 5, 2021

SOFTBALL
First Contest Date – Friday, March 19, 2021
SOP Date – Friday, April 23, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Thursday, May 27, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 29, 2021 (72 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday/Saturday, June 18/19, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Championship Finals – Saturday, June 26, 2021

BOYS AND GIRLS SWIMMING/ DIVING
First Contest Date – Saturday, March 13, 2021
SOP Date – Saturday, April 17, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, May 21, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 22, 2021 (71 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Monday, May 24 – Saturday, May 29, 2021
CIF State Championships – Friday/ Saturday, June 4/5, 2021

BOYS TEAM TENNIS
First Contest Date – Monday, March 1, 2021
SOP Date – Monday, April 5, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, May 14, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 15, 2021 (71 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday, May 28, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Championships – Saturday, June 5, 2021

GIRLS TEAM TENNIS
First Contest Date – Monday, February 22, 2021
SOP Date – Monday, March 29, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, May 7, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 8, 2021 (71 days)
CIF Southern Section Championship Finals – Friday, May 21, 2021
CIF Southern Regional Championships – Saturday, June 5, 2021

BOYS AND GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
First Contest Date – Saturday, March 20, 2021
SOP Date – Saturday, April 24, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Friday, May 28, 2021
Last Allowable Contest Date – Saturday, May 29, 2021 (72 days)
CIF Southern Section Preliminaries – Saturday, June 5, 2021
CIF Southern Section Divisional Championships – Saturday, June 12, 2021
CIF Southern Section Masters Meet – Saturday, June 19, 2021
CIF State Championships – Friday/ Saturday, June 25/26, 2021

BOYS AND GIRLS WRESTLING
First Contest Date – Friday, March 5, 2021
SOP Date – Friday, April 9, 2021 (36 days)
Last League Contest – Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Last Allowable Contest – Saturday, May 15, 2021 (72 days)
CIF Southern Section Dual Meet Championships – Saturday, May 15, 2021
CIF Southern Section Individual Championships – Friday/Saturday, May 28/29, 2021
CIF Southern Section Masters Meet – Friday/Saturday, June 4/5, 2021
CIF State Championships – Thursday, June 10, 2021 – Saturday, June 12, 2021