high school marching band and fall sports?

[HeatherC]

I will be very surprised if fall sports and band get to actually happen for the entire fall season. Some places that are rural may be able to, but I think we may here of lots of cancellations and closures with extra curricular activities which is sad.

 

[kymom99]

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.

Since they didn’t to my knowledge report over the holiday weekend, I’m hoping it’s a temporary spike as well. I guess we will hear later today.

 

[sam_gordon]

Since they didn’t to my knowledge report over the holiday weekend, I’m hoping it’s a temporary spike as well. I guess we will hear later today.

Monday's number was around 750 IIRC, so I figured that was 250/day to count Sat/Sun/Mon, which would be about right. I am concerned about the numbers from Tues (367) and Wed (400). If they're fall out from July 4 festivities, they seem awfully quick.

 

[Music City Mama]

Our band camp is scheduled to start the week after next (normal time-frame), but instead of two weeks of 12-hour days, it will be 1 week of 4-hour days, and the next week will be longer days, but with a few hours break in the middle of the day -- that way, they don't have to eat their meals there.

Since June, other sports have been conditioning, not full-on practicing. Our governor extended our emergency order due to expire 6/29 to 8/29, so I believe from what I've read that football won't be able to fully practice until after 8/29 and games can't start until mid-September when they'd normally start mid-August. The season will be shortened, but I don't think they've figure out the details yet.

The way I imagine it going down for band, even though I don't think we'll have clear answers until next week, is there will be no competitions this year, regional or local. They will be lucky if they get on the field during half-time -- in fact, there will probably be no playing in the stands.

I'm being very realistic with my senior who was going to be section leader this year. This is a big part of high school for him (and my husband and I are very involved). He was also part of a regional concert band this past year and was determined to make all-state this year, but I can't imagine concert band happening. The one thing that he has going for him is he's a percussionist/drumline, and the drumline and front ensemble people can socially distance from each other, but they also don't produce any aerosols like wind/brass instruments. So, maybe percussion can go on in some form like indoor winter drumline, but outdoor fall drumline. Would be nice!

 

[monsterkitty]

The Colorado Band Masters Association has cancelled the competitive marching band season this year. This is made up 100% of current and former band directors so you know they put a lot of thought and there was a lot of soul searching in the decision. They made the decision knowing that there is no way to adhere to the guidelines.

Unlike a football game that's just between two teams, the marching competitions bring in around 20 bands from all over the state each of the 2 days of the competitions. While the could say no audiences to cut down that transmission, you still have bands anywhere from 50-200+ students each.

Nothing has been said about whether marching band can't happen for football games if those go on.

 

[design_mom]

Just got word that our state marching band association has canceled the competition season. The band director said “This does not mean marching band is canceled. Competition is something we do, not who we are.” Band rehearsals will continue (outdoors, socially distant, etc.)

The high school sports authority gave the go ahead for a couple of low-contact sports to move forward (tennis, golf, and one other, I think.) We’re still in wait-and-see mode for the ones I’m interested in though: cross country and football (only really interested in football as it pertains to marching band.)

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) has delayed all Fall sports.

https://abc7news.com/california-hig...ew-schedule-basketball-2020-football/6325733/

 

[soccerdad72]

The high school sports authority gave the go ahead for a couple of low-contact sports to move forward (tennis, golf, and one other, I think.) We’re still in wait-and-see mode for the ones I’m interested in though: cross country and football (only really interested in football as it pertains to marching band.)

Waiting to hear about soccer here as well. Our team has been practicing since July 1st, but still no permission to play against other teams yet.

 

[stitch'sgirl]

My son found out this week he was accepted into a Big 10 college marching band. Just a wave of emotions as I know things will not go as he dreamed. I follow College Marching, and they had a very interesting discussion on the fall season, what they have discovered about transmission, and what they are doing to mitigate the risks. Worth a watch if you are a band parent!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=606930770210300&id=1494353250793865

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

ISSMA has cancelled band competitions here in IN. My step-daughter is still doing band camp(s), and they still have practices scheduled. They might play football games if there is a football season. Their band director said they have about a 50/50 chance of this happening. There is also the chance of invitational band competitions.

 

[sam_gordon]

Kentucky cancelled their state band competition. I'm guessing (don't follow band) it's up to the individual schools what they do. But, when I was picking up DD from HS soccer practice, I'm pretty sure I heard the "click track" the band uses for their practice (they practice about 1/2 mile away, but it's not hard to hear).

Soccer practice is voluntary workouts until August 3 at the earliest. DS had one team mate who's parent tested positive, so team practice was cancelled until the team mate got a negative test.

 

[mousefan73]

Feel bad for those who excel in sports and other scholarship activities and needed this senior year for college scholarship recruitment. A friend of mine has a daughter who’s starting off as a freshman at college on a golf scholarship. II could see college golf being a sport that’s still able to be done. But for team sports?I’m scared to ask her what’s going on with that, if the University canceled all sports are the scholarship still valid?

 

[aggiedog]

Ds will be a HS freshman, in football and band. Here in Texas, I really don't see those going well, though we are currently being told it's full steam ahead. We did get a letter from the band director yesterday that said the 3 days of drumline practice prior to the full marching band practice was canceled "out of an abundance of caution." Not sure how things will be better 3 days later??

A band director of another regional school told me they are only allowed to have 10 kids playing inside at a time, though we haven't heard anything from our band director. It's 104 here, so I also don't know all 120 kids will fare outside all day. Summer band is usually 8-4.

Football? Who knows? They've attempted "voluntary" conditioning camp twice this summer and had to shut for Covid cases. With numbers only going up in our county there's no way there won't be cases on the team when 2 a days start.

 

[Music City Mama]

My son found out this week he was accepted into a Big 10 college marching band. Just a wave of emotions as I know things will not go as he dreamed. I follow College Marching, and they had a very interesting discussion on the fall season, what they have discovered about transmission, and what they are doing to mitigate the risks. Worth a watch if you are a band parent!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=606930770210300&id=1494353250793865

Congrats to your son! I listened to that link you posted. It was very interesting -- thanks for sharing.

Our band camp was canceled. If/when football goes on, they may have some opportunities to play, but who knows.

Even though we have incoming freshmen every year to "replace" the graduating seniors, there are still additional kids who drop out because of other classes they want to take (they can't be in marching band if they're not in concert band) or other reasons. Now we've got freshmen who won't get to experience the season, so they might not be as motivated to pursue it next year, and then you have next year's freshmen (this year's 8th graders) who will have nothing to be inspired by this year to make them want to join marching in HS. Major fundraisers that can't go on, etc. I really worry about the future of these programs.

I'm just so sad for my senior. I think I mentioned in another post that he would've been section leader this year. I also mentioned about concert band which is also very important to him (and an actual class/period). How does that go on? I'm grieving not just for him, but for me! Friday nights, competition days, section parties, are part of my social life! I would also feel better if we knew what the school year is going to be like aside from band, but despite our district having a plan, until we actually start, it's hard to say how it's going to go (the spring was a nightmare).

 

[Music City Mama]

Ds will be a HS freshman, in football and band.

I'm curious, how does that work?

 

[paisleys]

I'm curious, how does that work?

I'm sure it's not easy! Last year, our school had several band members who were also football players and cheerleaders. It was cute to see the cheerleaders and football players in their sports uniform playing instruments on the field during half time. Hats off to them, and also the band/football/cheerleading directors for helping to make it happen.

 

[aggiedog]

I'm curious, how does that work?

Small town. Kids do multiple things. I love watching our marching band Friday nights, as there are usually kids in football uniforms, a trainer or two, some cheerleaders and drill team members. The actual logistics are hard, though, unless the kid is either motivated or not too worried about their place on the football team. Two a days and summer band means a 12 hour day for 2 weeks prior to school starting. Ds is not that motivated, so we'll see how he fares. Kids need an art credit though, and in our small school, it's band or art class. He can barely draw a circle, so he'd much rather be in band. It may all be moot if/when things fall apart here.

 

[soccerdad72]

Soccer practice is voluntary workouts until August 3 at the earliest. DS had one team mate who's parent tested positive, so team practice was cancelled until the team mate got a negative test.

Same thing happened with the girls' soccer team in our school district, except it was two players' parents that tested positive.

I worry that these types of things will be a downward spiral - once more players and families test positive, teams across the state will start shutting down things and there won't be anyone to play even if they do try to move forward with a season.

 

[Music City Mama]

I'm sure it's not easy! Last year, our school had several band members who were also football players and cheerleaders. It was cute to see the cheerleaders and football players in their sports uniform playing instruments on the field during half time. Hats off to them, and also the band/football/cheerleading directors for helping to make it happen.

Small town. Kids do multiple things. I love watching our marching band Friday nights, as there are usually kids in football uniforms, a trainer or two, some cheerleaders and drill team members. The actual logistics are hard, though, unless the kid is either motivated or not too worried about their place on the football team. Two a days and summer band means a 12 hour day for 2 weeks prior to school starting. Ds is not that motivated, so we'll see how he fares. Kids need an art credit though, and in our small school, it's band or art class. He can barely draw a circle, so he'd much rather be in band. It may all be moot if/when things fall apart here.

Thanks for the info. That could never work here -- all of those activities are way too time intensive and have the same general practice times for anyone to do both -- you could do concert band as a fine arts class/credit, but not marching band and cheer or football at the same time.

I worry that these types of things will be a downward spiral - once more players and families test positive, teams across the state will start shutting down things and there won't be anyone to play even if they do try to move forward with a season.

I sadly agree.

 

[sam_gordon]

if the University canceled all sports are the scholarship still valid?

I assume if they've done all of the paperwork, the scholarship would still be valid.