GREEN BAY (NBC 26) -- Both the Green Bay and Appleton school districts are changing fall sports this year for high school and middle school. It comes after the WIAA approved a major overhaul Friday to season structures heading into the new school year.
The Green Bay Area Public School District said it has decided to move all middle and high school fall sports to the spring. This is including football, boys soccer, cross country, girls golf, girls tennis, girls swim and dive, and boys and girls volleyball.
The school district says high schools will take advantage of the WIAA's decision to provide schools an opportunity to conduct their fall sports seasons in the spring.
“This decision was not easy, but it was necessary for the safety and well-being of our student athletes,” stated Superintendent Stephen Murley. “Across the state in both high school and college athletics, there is an acknowledgment that mitigation efforts alone are not enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. In addition, there are troubling reports of athletes who have been infected with COVID-19 having ongoing health issues. Athletics are important to our students, their families, coaches, and school communities. By moving fall athletics to the spring when we hope the activity level of COVID-19 will be greatly reduced, athletes will then be able to participate in the sports they love.”
The District considered a couple of different factors in making its decision, including the District’s ability to mitigate spread of COVID-19 amongst student athletes and coaches. The school district said it also considered the current rate of community spread of COVID-19, as well as guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Additionally, the Appleton Area School District (AASD) also says it will move high school fall sports to spring. The school district said in a statement Friday that the AASD will take advantage of an alternate fall sports season opportunity for high school athletes that was recently approved by the WIAA. The school district said this means that the upcoming fall sports seasons for golf, performance teams, football, boys and girls volleyball, soccer, tennis, cross country, and swimming will be shifted to a spring time frame.
The AASD said middle school fall sports, including football, cross country, softball, and 8th grade girls’ volleyball, will be cancelled.
