Looks as Though Football is a Go for this Season

[CFL FAN]

On 7/8/2020 at 8:43 PM, HornetFan said:

Seminole County allowed teams to start practicing a couple of weeks ago; I haven't heard of any Covid-19 infections reported by high school football teams in Seminole to date. Teams in Orange County returned this week to official practice, but most kids in Central Florida have been practicing without coaches for the last couple of months. We didn't get a spike in cases until irresponsible young adults hit the bars and clubs in force when  the bars re-opened. The big spike has been in the 21-35 year old age groups. They are currently testing about 80,000 people a day in the state of Florida; that's over four times as many a day as they were testing two months ago. Doctors and scientists have reported that infections in young adults have been less severe with a small percentage requiring clinical or hospital care Most young adults have been asymptomatic or mildly effected. If cities can allow thousands of protesters to fill the streets, standing in close proximity to each other, with little concern of the virus spreading, the FHSAA should be able to figure out how to put 22 kids on a 40 by 100 yard football field. The schools opening and sports being played has become a political football leading up to the November elections,, as well as a showdown between teachers who want to remain home and parents who want to send their kids to school so the parents can return to work. Teachers, coaches, officials, and others who may be at greater risk of infection may just have to sit it out this school year until a vaccine is found or they feel confident about returning. Special consideration regarding their pay during their time away may have to be put in place as the Federal government has done in the recent past. Kids need to be in school and they deserve to play sports.

Hornet you are correct that Seminole County has started back however there are at least two schools of the 8 in the county that had to shut down work outs due to a Covid case.    Kids and coaches will contract Covid during the season, the question is how do we handle it at the high school level?  Do we shut down the program for a week, two weeks, etc...or do we sit the kid or coach who is sick?  We need a statewide policy as to how this will work.  ALL schools should treat a positive case in each sport the same. 

We all know public schools can not afford to test each kid each week or even twice a season.  What if we do it the old Pop Warner days like weight check, each team must have a book and a medical professional (Dr and/or ATC) must check each athlete daily or at a minimum before each contest for temperature, and signs of sickness.  

[Perspective]

3 hours ago, CFL FAN said:

Hornet you are correct that Seminole County has started back however there are at least two schools of the 8 in the county that had to shut down work outs due to a Covid case.    Kids and coaches will contract Covid during the season, the question is how do we handle it at the high school level?  Do we shut down the program for a week, two weeks, etc...or do we sit the kid or coach who is sick?  We need a statewide policy as to how this will work.  ALL schools should treat a positive case in each sport the same. 

We all know public schools can not afford to test each kid each week or even twice a season.  What if we do it the old Pop Warner days like weight check, each team must have a book and a medical professional (Dr and/or ATC) must check each athlete daily or at a minimum before each contest for temperature, and signs of sickness.  

Interestingly, if you listened in on the FHSAA Fall Sports Task Force zoom call the other day, the FHSAA seems to be inclined to punt on any and all health issues.  While that may be a smart legal position to take, and while there may be some merit in leaving Covid-related decisions in the hands of the local health officials, the end result is going to be an inconsistent set of rules and policies.  

Personally, I think the FHSAA needs to take a more vocal role in setting up some basic standards on big-ticket issues, such as:  (1) will fans be allowed at games (if so, under what circumstances)?; (2) what should/must a school do if one of their kids tests positive?    I threw out a bunch of questions in a prior post; I'm not saying that all of these questions have to be answered the same for every school in the state, but there needs to be some guidance and consensus on the major ones. 

[gatorman-uf]

NJ pushes back first game to October 

 

https://highschoolfootballamerica.com/new-jersey-moves-back-the-start-of-the-2020-high-school-football-regular-season-to-october-2/

[HornetFan]

7 hours ago, CFL FAN said:

Hornet you are correct that Seminole County has started back however there are at least two schools of the 8 in the county that had to shut down work outs due to a Covid case.    Kids and coaches will contract Covid during the season, the question is how do we handle it at the high school level?  Do we shut down the program for a week, two weeks, etc...or do we sit the kid or coach who is sick?  We need a statewide policy as to how this will work.  ALL schools should treat a positive case in each sport the same. 

We all know public schools can not afford to test each kid each week or even twice a season.  What if we do it the old Pop Warner days like weight check, each team must have a book and a medical professional (Dr and/or ATC) must check each athlete daily or at a minimum before each contest for temperature, and signs of sickness.  

There are businesses all over this country that temperature check their employees each day before they can go to work. They require the employees to use hand sanitizer frequently and they practice social distancing in their establishments. Schools can do the same in the classroom, including requiring masks at all times. They can even put a plastic shield on each teacher's desk.if the kids are going to contract the virus, it will most likely be in the classroom from another kid that may be asymptomatic. Football players have been practicing in groups without coaches since schools were closed in March. They have not been wearing masks or practicing social distancing. They have been playing informal 7v7 games against other groups, all without adult supervision, and still we haven't heard of any serious outbreaks among teenagers. With supervised practices and games, adults can assure that players on the sidelines social distance and wear masks if deemed necessary. They don't need fans in the stands, but if limited to immediate family members, social distancing in the stands would not be difficult. These kids are going to play football this Fall; it can be organized and controlled by adults or they'll play pickup games among themselves, but they're going to play. If our government leaders and politicians can justify thousands of people protesting in the streets, shouting and spraying fluids all over the place, they can surely figure a way for 22 teenagers to play a game of football on a 40 by 100 yard football field. Take the politics out of this and let the kids play.

[HornetFan]

8 hours ago, CFL FAN said:

Hornet you are correct that Seminole County has started back however there are at least two schools of the 8 in the county that had to shut down work outs due to a Covid case.    Kids and coaches will contract Covid during the season, the question is how do we handle it at the high school level?  Do we shut down the program for a week, two weeks, etc...or do we sit the kid or coach who is sick?  We need a statewide policy as to how this will work.  ALL schools should treat a positive case in each sport the same. 

We all know public schools can not afford to test each kid each week or even twice a season.  What if we do it the old Pop Warner days like weight check, each team must have a book and a medical professional (Dr and/or ATC) must check each athlete daily or at a minimum before each contest for temperature, and signs of sickness.  

Schools can afford to temperature check each player before every practice and game. All you need are a couple of the no-contact thermometers. If a player exceeds a pre-determined temperature, he sits. If he exhibits other symptoms, test the kid and have him sit out until he gets his results back. If he has covit-19, he quarantines until he tests negative. Same procedure for coaches. These kids have been playing football with each other since this virus shut down the schools; the shutdown only gave them more time to socialize and practice together, and they weren't being tested. If you shut football down, these kids will still play without supervision.

[Jambun82]

10 hours ago, HornetFan said:

The reason they want to reopen schools this Fall is so parents can go back to work. Also, it has been almost universally agreed upon that on-line schooling has been a total disaster. My grandsons, both honor students in a Central Florida high school, have participated with on-line schooling this past semester and their opinion is "why bother if this is the best you can offer". A good percentage of students have not even participated. If they don't reopen the schools, I would rather see them defund the schools, lay off the teachers, and rebate our school taxes; not that I expect that would ever happen. Kids belong in school. The CFYFL, one of the the youth tackle football programs in Central Florida, recently completed their Spring football season (5 or 6 games per team, pus playoff game) with no reported Covid-19 infections. Maybe the FHSAA should contact them and see how they did it successfully.

HornetFan, is the CFYFL an 8-on-8 football league. Also, on what fields and cities/towns does the league play it games? Thank you.

[CFL FAN]

10 hours ago, HornetFan said:

Schools can afford to temperature check each player before every practice and game. All you need are a couple of the no-contact thermometers. If a player exceeds a pre-determined temperature, he sits. If he exhibits other symptoms, test the kid and have him sit out until he gets his results back. If he has covit-19, he quarantines until he tests negative. Same procedure for coaches. These kids have been playing football with each other since this virus shut down the schools; the shutdown only gave them more time to socialize and practice together, and they weren't being tested. If you shut football down, these kids will still play without supervision.

I agree Hornet Fan.  WE should play, I also feel like the FHSAA should put into place as the governing body of athletics here in Florida procedures for EACH FHSAA member school to follow concerning Covid.  Leaving it up to each district or school is crazy in my opinion.  You are correct that kids are going to play and have been playing "pick up" games since March.  Maybe if sports are cancelled some third party will open up as an option for kids to play to put film out to colleges.  

Off topic from football, it sucks from what I heard of the FHSAA meeting that the schools down south are having a hard time finding a swimming pool or golf course.  WE all LOVE football but lets take a second to think of these other athletes that may miss a season due to not having a facility.  

[SubZero]

I want to know will there even be a state series in Football this season. Meaning will there be a state finals for the FHSAA, or are counties just gonna do their own thing. 

[badbird]

1 hour ago, SubZero said:

I want to know will there even be a state series in Football this season. Meaning will there be a state finals for the FHSAA, or are counties just gonna their own thing. 

nice name

[HornetFan]

20 hours ago, Jambun82 said:

HornetFan, is the CFYFL an 8-on-8 football league. Also, on what fields and cities/towns does the league play it games? Thank you.

The CFYFL is just like Pop Warner except they don't have weight restrictions. As they state, "they let the big boys play". They play 11 on 11. Both my grandsons played for the Oviedo Knights for several years, both in the Spring and in the Fall. They have teams throughout Central Florida and just like Pop Warner, they have always played on high school fields or city stadiums. They may have had to use other fields this past Spring season if local high schools closed their fields, but they played.. 

[HornetFan]

2 hours ago, SubZero said:

I want to know will there even be a state series in Football this season. Meaning will there be a state finals for the FHSAA, or are counties just gonna their own thing. 

It's beginning to look like there may not be state finals in football this year. Dade, Broward, and Palm counties have been hit harder by the virus than other counties throughout the state. They may delay the start of their season and restrict travel out of their immediate area. The players do't need state playoffs. The schools can play local schedules and have county or regional championships if necessary. The important thing is that if at all possible, these kids get to play. Seniors lost their Spring practice, their Spring games, college Summer camps and visits, all very important events in the college recruiting process. For many of these kids, football was their only way to afford a college education. We shouldn't allow politics or labor unions to decide if these kids get a college education.

[Jambun82]

2 hours ago, HornetFan said:

The CFYFL is just like Pop Warner except they don't have weight restrictions. As they state, "they let the big boys play". They play 11 on 11. Both my grandsons played for the Oviedo Knights for several years, both in the Spring and in the Fall. They have teams throughout Central Florida and just like Pop Warner, they have always played on high school fields or city stadiums. They may have had to use other fields this past Spring season if local high schools closed their fields, but they played.. 

Thank you HornetFan, do you know what dates this league finished out their season?  Pop Warner Football had eased up on weight restrictions recently as an incentive to get more kids out to play for that league.

[HornetFan]

On 7/11/2020 at 9:48 PM, Jambun82 said:

Thank you HornetFan, do you know what dates this league finished out their season?  Pop Warner Football had eased up on weight restrictions recently as an incentive to get more kids out to play for that league.

I believe the CFYFL finished their Spring season toward the end of May or beginning of June. My grandsons have moved on the HS football, so I don't stay up to date as much on CFYFL. Pop Warner changed their weight requirements because they were losing players to leagues like CFYFL and AAU. The bigger kids were being forced out of Pop Warner. Also, fewer parents are allowing their kids to play tackle football.

[Jambun82]

9 hours ago, HornetFan said:

I believe the CFYFL finished their Spring season toward the end of May or beginning of June. My grandsons have moved on the HS football, so I don't stay up to date as much on CFYFL. Pop Warner changed their weight requirements because they were losing players to leagues like CFYFL and AAU. The bigger kids were being forced out of Pop Warner. Also, fewer parents are allowing their kids to play tackle football.

Thank you HornetFan. Yes Pop Warner Football realized that their organization had to ease up on some restrictions to be able to "compete", for lack of a better word, for these young players who were starting to play for other leagues.

[gatorman-uf]

Virginia Moving Games to Spring or canceling outright

https://highschoolfootballamerica.com/fall-high-school-football-not-an-option-in-virginia/

[HornetFan]

12 hours ago, gatorman-uf said:

Virginia Moving Games to Spring or canceling outright

https://highschoolfootballamerica.com/fall-high-school-football-not-an-option-in-virginia/

One thing I learned from living a few years in Virginia, is that everything that happens there is controlled by Northern Virginia politics. The rest of the state is stuck with decisions that are seen unfavorably in the rest of the state. Right now, Virginia is controlled by Northern Virginia Democrats. You can't expect them to allow football anytime before the November election. I'd be surprised if they allow students to physically attend schools before November. Sorry for the political answer, but Virginia is firmly entrenched in the strategy of disruption through the November election.

[gatorman-uf]

6 hours ago, HornetFan said:

One thing I learned from living a few years in Virginia, is that everything that happens there is controlled by Northern Virginia politics. The rest of the state is stuck with decisions that are seen unfavorably in the rest of the state. Right now, Virginia is controlled by Northern Virginia Democrats. You can't expect them to allow football anytime before the November election. I'd be surprised if they allow students to physically attend schools before November. Sorry for the political answer, but Virginia is firmly entrenched in the strategy of disruption through the November election.

So this isn't the first time I have heard that "Democrats want schools closed to help them win the election." Can you explain this logic? How does not attending school help the Democrats?

[gatorman-uf]

Additionally, why did this get moved to off-topic? Is football not the topic of the conversation? Are we talking about something else other than football?

[DisabledAccount]

17 hours ago, gatorman-uf said:

So this isn't the first time I have heard that "Democrats want schools closed to help them win the election." Can you explain this logic? How does not attending school help the Democrats?

 

23 hours ago, HornetFan said:

One thing I learned from living a few years in Virginia, is that everything that happens there is controlled by Northern Virginia politics. The rest of the state is stuck with decisions that are seen unfavorably in the rest of the state. Right now, Virginia is controlled by Northern Virginia Democrats. You can't expect them to allow football anytime before the November election. I'd be surprised if they allow students to physically attend schools before November. Sorry for the political answer, but Virginia is firmly entrenched in the strategy of disruption through the November election.

 

 

 

17 hours ago, gatorman-uf said:

Additionally, why did this get moved to off-topic? Is football not the topic of the conversation? Are we talking about something else other than football?

See rule #6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And ik that I initially made comments which leaned political (even though I stopped short of actually identifying a particular party) but when it was pointed out I removed all references of it so that this topic wouldn't be ruined before it can start but it's had ample discussion time so now that it's clearly moving away from football this was the only action that can be taken 

 

 

This isn't flavaristy where we gonna let our entire football forum turn into a debate on the election, and since this is an election year and I'm already pissed off that I can't even scroll Facebook without a bunch of fools trying to make every sports topic Democrats vs Republicans I'm not gonna allow it here and I know the moderator team as well as Joshua would back me up on that 

 

 

Your all free to continue your discussion but the moment it becomes political it goes in the off topic bin

[HornetFan]

On 7/16/2020 at 4:44 PM, gatorman-uf said:

So this isn't the first time I have heard that "Democrats want schools closed to help them win the election." Can you explain this logic? How does not attending school help the Democrats?

I agree this discussion is moving in a direction that should be addressed off topic and I'd be happy to address the question off topic.

[Perspective]

Now I'm confused.   I've read Rule #6, including the part that says:  "The only exception to this rule will be if talking politics relates to something going on with high school football or high school sports in general -- like a bill that is being heard or passed in a state, for example. "

While some of the politics mentioned in this thread doesn't have anything to do with high school football, a lot does.  And with a few exceptions, most of the comments in this thread relate to the single most important topic on the minds of high school football players, coaches and fans right now:  will there be football this season and if so, under what circumstances. 

A few final thoughts:

1.  If we want to start up a new "status of high school football" thread, I assume we can, right?

2.  If we ever want to shut down a thread (or move it to a part of the site that most of us do not regularly check), all we have to do is start interjecting politics into the discussion?

3.  Prior to moving a thread to the site equivalent of Siberia, perhaps it would be better to first post a reminder (or two) on the threatened thread to remind everyone of the 'no politics' rule. 

OK, when I jump up, can someone slide my soapbox out from underneath me? 

[DisabledAccount]

On 7/20/2020 at 9:14 AM, Perspective said:

Now I'm confused.   I've read Rule #6, including the part that says:  "The only exception to this rule will be if talking politics relates to something going on with high school football or high school sports in general -- like a bill that is being heard or passed in a state, for example. "

While some of the politics mentioned in this thread doesn't have anything to do with high school football, a lot does.  And with a few exceptions, most of the comments in this thread relate to the single most important topic on the minds of high school football players, coaches and fans right now:  will there be football this season and if so, under what circumstances. 

A few final thoughts:

1.  If we want to start up a new "status of high school football" thread, I assume we can, right?

2.  If we ever want to shut down a thread (or move it to a part of the site that most of us do not regularly check), all we have to do is start interjecting politics into the discussion?

3.  Prior to moving a thread to the site equivalent of Siberia, perhaps it would be better to first post a reminder (or two) on the threatened thread to remind everyone of the 'no politics' rule. 

OK, when I jump up, can someone slide my soapbox out from underneath me? 

I let it slide when it was talking about the topic related to football

 

The moment it turned into Democrat vs republican (the most boring and overused debate in the world these days) it became move it to OT, no questions asked which is what I and other moderators have been instructed to do when it's happened in the past 

 

 

As for the original topic, yes you could create a new post and if people can have the discussion without making it Democrats vs Republicans then I have no issue with it being on the board but I won't allow this board to turn into rivals where it becomes another place of endless political crap and what side is evil and which side is liars and how someone who doesn't like politician A or B is unAmerican and all that cancerous crap