The Jesuit sports season is upon us as many Winter sports have started practicing and preparing for league games. Last week was a monumental week for Fall sports as the Governor’s office released a statement expressing that the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will revise its guidance for outdoor contact sports. New guidance has given a positive outlook to Football teams in Oregon who have long waited for a proper season. 

Season 2, which includes sports such as football, soccer, cross country, and volleyball, will begin as scheduled on March 1st and end during the week of April 5.

Football season

Football teams have been practicing since February 8th, but new guidance has allowed for football teams to shift to contact practices in order for the season to start as scheduled on the 1st of March. 

According to the press release issued by the Governor’s office, “Schools in counties that are lower and moderate risk can move forward with their football plans. For those in high and extreme risk counties, schools “must offer on-site responsive testing for symptomatic individuals and close contacts, contact information for contact tracing, and a waiver identifying health and safety risks and a commitment to isolation and quarantine if exposed to COVID-19.”

The Oregon State Activities Association (OSAA) created a 2021 season 2 plan book for Football which goes in-depth into all of the regulations and rules required during the football season.

Cross Country

Like football, cross country teams in Oregon have heard positive news in the past week. New guidance has stated that several counties have moved out of the extreme-risk category, pushing the XC season in the right direction. While this is a small step towards the ultimate goal of having competitions, more and more schools moving off the extreme-risk category opens the door to competitive meets and, potentially, a state championship. The biggest obstacle cross country faces is gathering size restrictions, which only allow 50 people in extreme-risk categories, 75 people in high, 150 people in moderate, and 300 people  in low. Luckily, there are options for the OSAA, as cross country meets can be modified to accommodate  the region of the race. Meets could have only a few teams race at  time, or be held at a competition venue in a low-risk county. The OSAA is working hard to find a plan, but regardless of what they choose, the season will look much different this season.The  OSAA has created a 2021 season 2 plan book for Cross Country which goes in-depth into all of the regulations and rules required during the XC season.

Volleyball season

While the Volleyball season has not seen any new updates in the new guidance, the OSAA has published a 2020-21 Volleyball memo and a plan book that contains season dates, new rules and policies, state championship information, and general policies.

Soccer season

The soccer season has not seen any new updates in  the new guidance, but, like other Fall sports, the OSAA has published a 2020-21 memo and a plan book that contains season dates, new soccer rules and policies, state championship information, and general policies.

Attendance

    For the many fans and students who hope to watch  competitions, state regulations on gathering sizes will unfortunately limit the number of people who attend. . However, while in-person attendance is unlikely, schools are making a switch to technology in order to capture games. Jesuit High School,which already has a live streaming service, hopes to expand their platform beyond Jesuit Crusaders Television (JCTV) to cover more games and contests. Schools can update fans and students by entering their broadcast information for contests on the OSAA website.