Oklahoma City-area school districts to follow OSSAA’s proposal to resume sports, beginning June 8

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Oklahoma City-area school districts will follow the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s proposal for restarting high school sports and activities, beginning on June 8.

The OSSAA board of directors rejected the three-phased proposal last week. The decision gave each school district the option to resume athletic activities immediately. High school sports have been canceled since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Oklahoma City Public Schools athletic director Todd Dilbeck said districts throughout the metro have agreed the safest way to proceed is by roughly following the OSSAA’s plan.

The timeline for each phase varies among the districts.

Dilbeck said Oklahoma City Public Schools will hold Phase 1 from June 8 to June 26. During this phase, strength and conditioning workouts are permitted.

After the annual dead week period from June 27 to July 5, Phase 2 for the district will begin and continue through July 15, Dilbeck said. Noncontact football practices, activity-specific instruction, intrasquad scrimmages and tryouts are allowed during this time.

Phase 3, which allows all fall sports teams to hold unrestricted practices, will follow.

Norman Public Schools athletic director TD O’Hara said his district will have shorter phases throughout June.

“That will allow us more time to gather data and see where we’re at with the circumstances we’re involved in and then prepare on how the month of July looks for all sports,” O’Hara said.

Yukon Public Schools announced Wednesday it intends to resume athletic activities on June 8. The district is taking a cautious approach.

“Our hope is to begin outdoor small group workouts for fall high school athletes beginning June 8, 2020,” the district said in a statement.

“This is a tentative date contingent upon the availability of supplies needed to conduct training in a safe environment. There will be no camps, leagues, or other community events of any kind in Yukon Public Schools until July 1, 2020. This date is subject to change as well."

Tulsa-area districts agreed to resume athletics on June 8 but haven’t decided when to transition into Phase 2.

The OSSAA’s next board meeting is set for June 9.

Related Photos

https://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-b74c867a1ef18a049872417663c1f293.jpg
Yukon High School's John Paul Esparza takes down parking signs as he goes through the doors at the school on March 12. [Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman]

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