Opening Day, Play Ball!

Soon these stadium lights will be dark no more and school districts in Iowa will lead the way as we begin the slow process of safely reopening our facilities. Iowa is in a very unique position as it is the only state in the country that offers high school sports over the summer months. Following the easing of restrictions across the state, Iowa schools are preparing to resume high school athletic programs. We are going to have high school baseball and softball, but you should anticipate that it will look different than it has in the past. Two big changes you will notice is that all our bleachers will be closed. We are encouraging you to bring lawn chairs and practice social distancing. Additionally we will not be opening our concession stand. 

At Hudson Schools, we are preparing to open our summer sports seasons with strict adherence to the guidance that has been issued. For your reference, that guidance is included here. On one hand I am happy and excited for our student athletes. They will once again be permitted to gather together in a show of school spirit and begin to resume a sense of normalcy. On the other hand, I am a bit concerned in how all of this is going to work. However, I have a great deal of confidence in our administrators charged with running our programs, and in all our coaches' ability to operate within the rules and regulations as they are being rolled out and developed.

When the Governor of Iowa recently announced that school districts may resume high school athletics, she was very specific with what was being permitted at this time. The guidance that has been issued in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Education was very clear in the fact the order only covers high school baseball and softball. I understand the issue has become a bit cloudy as it relates to junior high sports, particularly since an additional order was recently issued designed to allow the resumption of youth sports. As a point of clarification: this does not apply to junior high sports. I am uncertain why the difference exists and can only speculate as to the rationale behind it. However, I do believe it is appropriate for schools to go slowly in reopening. There are a lot of issues that need to be ironed out as we move forward.

Practice for high school baseball and softball will begin on Monday, June 1. In the interim we still have quite a few things to figure out. In the next couple of days we will be meeting with athletic directors in our conference, officials from the statewide associations, and with our coaches regarding expectations for practices and games. For those of you who are planning to participate in these sports seasons, and parents of athletes, we will be hosting a meeting with all of you before the weekend. My plan is to have our outdoor facilities reopened by 8:00 on Monday, June 1. In the interim, if  you have questions please contact Mr. Wurzer, Mr. Curley, or Mr. Bahnsen. 

I look forward to seeing you at the ballpark!