SAN FRANCISCO—On Monday, July 20, California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced that there will be no athletic competition this upcoming fall and winter for 2020. Due to COVID-19, the schedule will be modified and will start in the spring of 2021.
In a Zoom interview call, Executive Director of CIF, Ron Nocetti said:
“The main change obviously is we went three season of sport to two season of sport and delayed the start to the kind of December/January period obviously most of what are considered traditional fall sports would begin playing games in January but they could depending on section be allowed to practice as early as December and maybe play a few games depending on where we are at that time.. ultimately it did make it difficult for some who play multiple sports but we felt it was the best plan moving forward for as many kids possible.”
In a interview with head coach of Abraham Lincoln High School, Philip Ferrigno told the San Francisco News:
“I think we got some big hurdles to overcome but I think it’s great that there’s something in place for us so these kids can go play, I think a lot of it has to do with us getting prepared.. If we do it right, San Francisco section, and also our schools let us do some social distancing working out, I think we’ll be alright and get ahead of it but right now we’re behind.”
Since high school players are expected to participate in sports in the spring, it will affect the next level.
“It will definitely affect us a little bit. With them participating in the spring because we do have high school kids participate in our spring practice in the previous years, but now with us taking part in the spring with our season and their season in the spring so it’s definitely going to hurt us a little bit” said Los Medanos College Head Coach, Chris Shipe, in a interview.
Both Coach Ferrigno and Coach Shipe expressed this is the right decision by the CIF to keep everybody safe and worry about sports once things get better.
Nocetti says the CIF gave schools the ability to extend their summer periods as long as the school principal gives the program the consent to workout if things get better regarding COVID-19.
“For example in San Francisco, if things get better in October, the things that schools normally do in the summer, like summer league basketball, 7 on 7 football, etc. They could do in those months getting ready for the season in December and January,” said Nocetti.
