BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Tryouts and practices are set to start next week and fall sports is on with some adjustments.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association Representative Council approved the next steps in returning sports for member schools, July 29.
“It is a positive thing the MHSAA is looking to push and to say we are moving forward,” said Clarkston Athletics Director Jeff Kosin. “Kids need athletics. I realize there are other avenues and kids will find things to do whether it be club teams or travel teams. But to get the kids back to some sort of normalcy where they are attending school, they are attending practice, they are attending events – those things all still up in the air.”
The council decided lower risk sports such as girls golf, boys tennis, girls swimming and diving, and cross country may begin practice on Aug. 12 as planned.

Moderate and high-risk sports such as football, volleyball and boys soccer may begin practice but not competition.
Boys soccer and volleyball is still set to start practicing on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
Football is delayed a week to Monday, Aug. 17 at that time they can start practice with full player pads and equipment. Football teams can continue sessions with conditioning, physical training and skill work with no other player equipment except helmets.
Lower risk sports can also begin competition on their traditional start dates, set for Aug. 19 and 21 this year.
Football, volleyball and boys soccer can practice but cannot compete. The council will decide by Aug. 20 the timelines for competition.
“Waiting for the deadline from MHSAA or the governor just keeps us in a holding pattern,” Kosin said. “Our teams will continue to do what they do, and they will continue to have their summer workouts.”
He added it’s tough planning when not knowing what will happen but the Clarkston Athletics department is scheduling events and posting them.
“As of right now, volleyball and swim are the two most on hold just because tryouts start next week and they don’t have access to a gym or a pool as of yet,” Kosin said. “For those two it’s a very difficult sport to run. It’s everything else, it’s golf, tennis, cross country, cheer, dance, band, soccer, football, are those going to have an opportunity or is it something that’s going to be cut short? It’s all up in the air, you just don’t know.”
The MHSAA Representative Council also voted to cancel scrimmages in all fall sports for this school year. The council also approved limitations on numbers of teams that may compete together at regular-season tournaments, invitationals and other multi-team events.
“The council believed eliminating scrimmages emphasized the importance of keeping teams from mixing before the first date of competition, and the regular-season limitations may lessen opportunities for viral spread while still allowing meets to be conducted,” said the MHSAA.
Kosin added the Oakland Athletic Association met on Monday morning. A few notes from the meeting included not having any tournaments, which is following the guidelines the MHSAA released.
More notes included: for girls golf, only 72 participants competing in the Division 1 Oakland County Meet with only four golfers per team instead of the whole team. For girls swim and dive, no county meet and just doing the league schedule. For cross country, 70 runners per race and possibly no jamborees and going to a dual schedule.
“We talked about spectators, but there was nothing really because we are still waiting to see what the governor puts out for us to make any decision either it be OAA or Clarkston,” Kosin said.
As of now spectators will be limited in accordance with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders on large gatherings.
MHSAA added it is dependent on how the spread of the virus is trending statewide.
“Plans remain reliant on sustained metrics measuring virus spread and/or progression by schools and regions across the state according to Governor Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan,” MHSAA said, adding as of Friday, two regions were in Phase 5, allowing for limited indoor activity, while the rest are in Phase 4 and unable to host indoor training, practice or competition.
“The Council feels it’s of utmost importance to continue athletic activity moving forward,” said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl. “If we take a month off, our students will find opportunities to compete through non-school entities that may not be as focused on safety.
“Our athletic directors and coaches can provide the safest-possible environment to return to sports, and this phased-in approach to competition will help schools continue building on progress already made. The council chose to make these adjustments to help ensure our athletes have a safe regular season this fall.”
He added, decisions are based on medical guidance.
“We will make these difficult decisions quickly and appropriately,” Uyl said. “If we don’t play this fall, it won’t be because we didn’t make every effort to do so.”