With practices for all fall sports beginning this Sunday, August 1 and the season kicking off later that month, the Ohio High School Athletic Association has sent updates and reminders to its 817 member high schools and 747 member 7th and 8th grade schools.
The OHSAA’s memo to member schools on July 23 included information about upcoming meetings and other reminders. Here are some key items from a release from the OHSAA on Thursday.
Tournament dates
The OHSAA released its reference calendar for all 26 of its sanctioned sports, including the dates and sites of the state championships. In fall sports, they are all roughly similar to what they were in 2020.
Cross country: Nov. 6, Fortess Obetz and Memorial Park.
Field hockey: State semifinals Nov. 4 and state finals Nov. 6, locations to be determined.
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Football: First round of the six-round tournament is Oct. 29-30, state championships Dec. 2-4 in Canton.
Golf: Oct. 15-16, boys Division III and girls Division II at Ohio State, Boys Division II at North Star; Oct. 22-23, Boys and girls Division I at Ohio State.
Boys soccer: State semifinals, Nov. 10; finals Nov. 13 in Columbus.
Girls soccer: State semifinals, Nov. 9; Finals Nov. 12 in Columbus.
Girls tennis: Oct. 22-23 at Lindner Tennis Center, Mason.
Volleyball: State semifinals Nov. 11 and 12, finals Nov. 13, all at Wright State University’s Nutter Center.
Heat Precautions
School administrators and coaches are asked to review the heat acclimatization and exertional heat illness prevention section in the OHSAA Handbook prior to any interscholastic practices.
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Football has a five-day required acclimatization period and cross country has a 10-day required acclimatization period. All athletes joining the team at any point of the season also must participate in the sport-specific acclimatization period prior to any contact drills (football) or competition (cross country).
COVID-19 Update
The Ohio Department of Health released newly revised guidance for K-12 schools on Tuesday, July 27, with some information related to interscholastic sports.
Although Ohio lifted most statewide pandemic-related health orders on June 2, 2021, the risk is still there for illness from COVID-19.
The OHSAA currently has no mandates regarding vaccinations and social distancing, and the only mandate on masks is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirement that masks be worn while using public transportation, which includes school buses.
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The OHSAA recommends that coaches and student-athletes who are eligible for vaccinations to be vaccinated and it is highly recommended that those who are unvaccinated maintain social distancing and wear masks in indoor facilities and in outdoor facilities where there are crowded situations.
OHSAA Board of Directors
Lakota West Athletic Director Scott Kaufman has been named the new Board President for the 2021-22 school year. He is the only Cincinnati representative on the 11-person board.
Academic Eligibility Reminder
The OHSAA has suspended the academic requirement that student-athletes must have passed five one-credit courses (or four classes at the 7th/8th grade level) in the final grading period of the 2020-21 school year. Therefore, all student-athletes are eligible with respect to their OHSAA scholarship eligibility, for the first grading period of the 2021-22, unless a school chooses to enforce its own scholarship standard.
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However, the OHSAA’s academic requirement will be back in use for the second grading period.
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