Area athletic teams are pushing ahead with practice, with the looming possibility that the fall sports season could be canceled or amended at any time. Administrators and coaches at the Warrenton and Wright City school districts have been working closely with local and state leadership to make decisions for extracurricular activities in the midst of COVID-19.

Warrenton High School Activities Director Kevin Fowler says information has been arriving daily from the Missouri State High School Activities Association and the Warren County Health Department. 

“Right now we’re going full steam ahead with practices until we are told otherwise,” said Fowler.

All six of the fall sports — boys soccer, cross country, football, girls golf, softball and volleyball — at both Warrenton and Wright City, began practices on Monday with social distancing measures in place where possible.

“Right now everything is still up in the air concerning the actual season,” said Fowler. “In the meantime, our kids are being cautious, wearing masks unless they’re in drills, and coaches are wearing masks as well. We’re trying to space out as much as possible, but if you’re playing sports, you’ve kind of made that decision to go forward with the activity and the risks involved.”

Wright City Activities Director David Evans said the only decrease in participation the Wildcats have seen is within the football program, although he’s not certain it’s directly related to COVID.

“When you come to practice, you will see kids involved in drills like they normally would be, but those kids standing in line waiting will be trying to maintain that social distancing of 6 feet,” said Evans. “That can be challenging with teenagers, who understandably want to socialize.”

MSHSAA is currently not allowing any communal water stations during practice, so athletes are having to supply their own hydration.

“This can be tough in situations where a kid might forget to bring water or not realize how thirsty they will get during practice,” said Evans. “We are providing bags of ice in the case kids get hot.”

MSHSAA has also provided some competition modifications, including wider use of the sidelines for football teams and staff to spread out during competition. Face coverings are encouraged while players are not engaged in competition. 

“We are looking at how to cut down on bringing a lot of people into one space for larger events,” said Fowler. “Sports like volleyball may get hit harder with having to cut back or eliminate those tournaments where you’re bringing 12 to 18 teams into two gyms in one day.”

Fowler said a meeting was scheduled for Wednesday among Gateway Athletic Conference officials to determine what modifications to make within league play.

“We’re going to decide what to do as far as bigger events,” said Fowler, who noted that any competitions against St. Louis City or County schools have already been eliminated from the schedule.

Wright City administrators were also slated to attend meetings to discuss plans for the Eastern Missouri Conference.

“Hopefully we can come up with common goals so everybody follows the same formula,” said Evans. “It would be nice to have a consensus among all EMO schools to work together.”

The questions will soon go beyond the players and coaches, as contests begin and spectators become a part of the picture. Fowler says MSHSAA is leaving attendance for extracurricular activities up to the individual school boards. The Warrenton High School gymnasium and home football stands accommodate around 1,500 fans. 

“There will be a lot of restriction on attendance, whether it be a quarter, half or no fans allowed at all,” said Fowler. “We’re busy considering how we can live stream so people can have access if they want it.”

Both schools are coordinating closely with the Warren County Health Department.

“We have not come up with a definitive plan for attendance in the stands,” said Evans.  “Within the next week we expect the health department will come out with guidance for us.”

Other concerns to address include contact tracing in the event of a positive COVID-19 case, and reducing the number of contests on the schedule. 

“They are really stressing the 15 minutes of direct contact when it comes to exposure,” said Evans. “If you think about sports in general, there’s a lot of movement going on, so generally you’re not standing face to face with somebody for 15 minutes at a time. As long as we can keep sickness out of the program, we have a good chance to play.”

Fowler said his hope is that the district can provide opportunities for social interaction and to build bonds with coaches, even if competition is limited.

“It’s a fluid situation that we’re just trying to react to,” said Fowler. “We’ve gotten so caught up in playing as many games as possible over the years. We don’t necessarily need every competition, as long as the kids have an opportunity to make some memories, even if during practice.”