high school marching band and fall sports?

[momz]

With all the posts regarding sending kids to school, I thought I'd focus on extracurricular activities. My high schooler will be return to face to face classes. He's a junior and is healthy, so I left the decision up to him.

However, we decided to pull him out of marching band this year. There is a new band director who came in mid-term last spring just as the schools were shutting down. We lost our existing director suddenly. Anyway, the new director is gung-ho, balls to the wall. He is continuing with plans like always. With band camp starting on next Monday 9am-9pm. The kids are not allowed to gather indoors, so he is having them outside for 12 hours six days a week for 2 weeks. (yes, Saturdays are included). In addition, the most recent email says they will not be providing anything that has been provided in the past. Including water, sunscreen, lunches and dinners.

I realize this is not that much different from how band camp was run in past years, but, that's a lot of work to put in especially considering I don't think they will have a season. The state competition has been cancelled, as has Bands of America. That leaves the weekly invitational competitions and football games.

Now, lets be honest, I really don't anticipate any of the highschools in our division will be hosting competitions. Also, what is the likelihood that highschool football will happen this year? Pretty slim chance I think. One athlete getting CovID will end it all.

 

[diznygirl]

Here in Florida marching band has been cancelled. The Florida Bandmasters cancelled all competitions and then the school district followed. It was just announced today. Before this the band director was still planning as if it would happen.

We are sad at the loss, but glad a decision has finally been made. It’s all the not knowing that is hard for my kids.

 

[low-key]

lets let the kids be kids, and the old people be old people

 

[Jennasis]

I think band sounds like a potentially bad idea. But I am sorry for the kids who will miss it.

 

[aggiedog]

Band and football starts the last week of July. I honestly don't see it lasting as the numbers of kids that come down with coronavirus is bound to be not insignificant. Ds is supposed to be doing both. I'm not sure he'll survive regardless as he hasn't done more than climb a flight of stairs since March. Dh and I have bets on when he quits both or either.

 

[okeydokey]

Here in Florida marching band has been cancelled. The Florida Bandmasters cancelled all competitions and then the school district followed. It was just announced today. Before this the band director was still planning as if it would happen.

We are sad at the loss, but glad a decision has finally been made. It’s all the not knowing that is hard for my kids.

I just read that. It says schools can still have marching band if they want, but they won’t need to worry about preparing for this fall marching assessment.

 

[design_mom]

Our school hasn’t announced fall plans yet, but marching band started last week Right now it’s just percussion and guard (she’s percussion) from 5pm-9pm. In two weeks, it’ll be full band from 1pm-9pm. It sounds similar to yours — all outdoors, bring your own water, food, etc., social distancing, masks worn unless you’re playing, temperature checks upon arrival.

I don’t think anything (football, competitions, states) have been canceled... yet. I’ll be surprised if they don’t get canceled but I’m letting my daughter participate so far. It’s something productive to do and most of her friends are in the band. With their current restrictions, it seems reasonably safe even if the season gets canceled. The band was supposed to march in London this winter. That also hasn’t been canceled... yet. But I don’t see how that can happen either.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I heard in a press conference today that our state health dept has apparently issued a new order about sports conditioning and training, but I haven't seen it and our local health director was waiting for more information before changing any orders here. I don't know if it's becoming more or less restrictive, but it sounded like more.

We currently have teams doing conditioning, but I don't know if it's sanctioned by the school or not. Our county school superintendent has stated that at least when school resumes high risk electives like band and choir will not be allowed.

My kids have recently gone back to hybrid ballet and it's sort of a day by day thing if they'll be allowed to remain in person. They can't have any shows for the foreseeable future though.

 

[runjulesrun]

Our school hasn't announced fall plans yet. Band camp is supposed to start in 3 weeks. DD17 (rising senior) decided to opt out of band this year. Not because of Covid but for other reasons. I'm sad to not be a marching band mom for the first time in 12 years. I'm thinking they won't have a season anyway but I guess it makes it a little easier knowing I wouldn't have been involved this year anyway.

 

[sam_gordon]

DS and DD have started soccer training. Of course our state had been doing pretty well in number of cases until the last two days. Nothing like Florida, Texas, Arizona, but has me keeping an eye on the daily totals and hope they start coming down soon.

 

[justafigment27]

Our school is still proceeding with marching band and fall sports as if they will happen.

I doubt they will still actually happen, but I’ve been letting DD16 go to color guard and cross country practice because it gives her something normal to do and keeps her busy. I thinks she’s on week 4 of practice now? She was SO HAPPY when she was able to go and it has done wonders for her mental health.

 

[kymom99]

DS and DD have started soccer training. Of course our state had been doing pretty well in number of cases until the last two days. Nothing like Florida, Texas, Arizona, but has me keeping an eye on the daily totals and hope they start coming down soon.

Are you ready for the announcements tomorrow? I’m guessing masks and maybe quarantine after travel?

 

[sam_gordon]

Are you ready for the announcements tomorrow? I’m guessing masks and maybe quarantine after travel?

He's got pressers tomorrow AND Friday. I also think masks and quarantine is a definite possibility. DD (22) and her BF are supposed to go to Florida next week (despite attempts by DW and myself to dissuade them). I actually hope Beshear announces quarantine and maybe they'll listen to him.

 

[kymom99]

He's got pressers tomorrow AND Friday. I also think masks and quarantine is a definite possibility. DD (22) and her BF are supposed to go to Florida next week (despite attempts by DW and myself to dissuade them). I actually hope Beshear announces quarantine and maybe they'll listen to him.

We were supposed to go to Williamsburg VA at the end of the month with my step daughter and her family. We backed out. I guess they are still going. I presume if there is a quarantine order they will be back just in time to do that before school starts.

 

[amcnj]

The Ivy League suspended all fall sports, so this may lead to more such announcements soon.

 

[sam_gordon]

The Ivy League suspended all fall sports, so this may lead to more such announcements soon.

I think (hope?) there's a difference between HS and college sports. College sports generally have games from outside of a given state and bring in lots of more people. HS sports are more "region based" (generally) with most trips within 60-90 miles. That's why I was hoping HS sports would continue. At least until the last two days, my state has been doing pretty well with numbers. I'm hoping the spike we've seen in the last two days is just temporary, but I'm not so sure.

 

[ten6mom]

I have an incoming junior who just made the tenor/quad drumline. Our district would have normally started school on July 22 but that's been pushed back twice already. So far we've heard nothing on whether we will be allowed to do anything.

If they cancel all sports (which I kind of doubt they will... this is Arizona after all) I would be "more OK" with band being canceled but if they allow football to continue, where the kids literally pile on top of each other, but cancel marching band, where the kids DON'T pile on top of each other, I will be pretty upset. I feel terrible for the kids and the poor directors (our Director just landed the job after a promotion from Assistant last year... he worked his TAIL off last year doing everything alone when the Director just.... disappeared) and the new Assistant Director who hasn't gotten to do anything yet... and may not, at this rate.

Marching band is absolutely the ONLY thing that keeps this particular kid going each day so if they cancel it I'm going to have a depressed teenager.

 

[soccerdad72]

My son has also been doing soccer training since July 1st and the other day, the state issued a temporary allowance for competition against other teams. Although I suspect that was more about allowing the TBT (The Basketball Tournament) to be played in Columbus than anything else. Hopeful that the governor will continue to allow scrimmaging, as we're scheduled for our first pre-season scrimmage on the 21st.

Not sure about marching band, but I know that other sports like football are doing preseason workouts as well.

 

[tvguy]

If they cancel all sports (which I kind of doubt they will... this is Arizona after all)

Wow, given the coronavirus situation right now in Arizona, I am amazed schools would even think about........thinking about .......allowing sports in school in the fall. Sounds like they don't even want to reopen the schools in Arizona, let alone allow sports. https://www.azcentral.com/story/new...ool-leaders-face-more-uncertainty/5401041002/

 

[ten6mom]

Wow, given the coronavirus situation right now in Arizona, I am amazed schools would even think about........thinking about .......allowing sports in school in the fall. Sounds like they don't even want to reopen the schools in Arizona, let alone allow sports. https://www.azcentral.com/story/new...ool-leaders-face-more-uncertainty/5401041002/

Yeah.... our district had done a parent survey at the end of May (when things weren't quite so bleak looking), polling parents on whether they'd send their kids back online or in person, etc, and they published the results of the survey and then our numbers skyrocketed.

My district's governing board meeting was June 24 I believe and it went on for hours and hours... then they made their announcement about pushing back the start of the year two weeks to August 5, masks required... and then within the next couple days (IIRC) the governor said no school would be allowed to open in person until August 17.

So for the moment, my district plans to do online only for two weeks starting August 5 and then kids have the option to go back on August 17 or continue online.

I know that online is not a viable educational method for either of my teenage boys so it's hard to know what to do, but right now the plan is to send them back with strict admonishments to not make their teachers' lives more difficult by not being masked up.

ETA: When you say sounds like "they" don't want schools to open.... it allllll depends on which "they" you're referring to! I doubt the superintendent and governor share similar feelings (to each other), TBH.