ISA, IIAAG: No plans to cancel sports seasons

While the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam postponed a few basketball games this week, there are no plans to suspend or cancel the leagues despite the surge in COVID numbers, said the respective leaders for the island's high school sports organizations. 'Nobody is even remotely suggesting to cancel or suspend league operations,' said IIAAG President Terry Debold. 'This has just been a rough week. Hopefully, things start slowing down next week so we can get back to competition.' His Guam Department of Education counterpart, Interscholastic Sports Association acting coordinator Marv Linder echoed those sentiments. Reiterating that safety is always the priority, Linder said, the plan is always to 'hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.' However, ISA did announce Wednesday that they are pushing back the start of their sports seasons from Jan. 22 to Jan. 29. For third quarter, the sports currently on tap are: Basketball (boys and girls); Paddling (boys and girls); Soccer (boys); Softball; Tennis (boys and girls); and Wrestling. Fourth quarter, which starts in March, will include: Baseball; Rugby (boys and girls); Soccer (girls); Track and Field (boys and girls) and Volleyball (boys). The latest outbreak, Linder said, is affecting practices for public schools, but ISA is well-prepared to handle the constant changes and the fluid nature of the situation. 'I have not heard anything about canceling sports. If we have to cancel games, we will. Unfortunately with the high number of cases, it's bound to happen,' he said. 'Safety of our athletes is our first priority. We will continue to compete unless told to stop.' Debold emphasized the problem isn't that entire teams are getting sick - it's usually just one or two athletes. Citing a recent game that was supposed to play out Wednesday evening, he said, the competition had to be postponed to a later date because a coach tested positive. And, Guam High is under directive by DODEA to not play sports until after Jan. 24. 'If the coach gets sick, there's not much we can do,' he said of the postponed Wednesday basketball game. 'Some teams don't have the luxury of having assistant coaches to help if the head coach goes out with COVID.' Wrestling, one of the sports that hasn't had a season since 2019, is definitely eager to finally hit the mat. Rugby, slated for fourth quarter, is another sport that hasn't been able to touch ground since March 2020. With all those athletes waiting to compete, Debold said, the key will be flexibility for everyone as the league shuffles games and matches to accommodate teams that are healthy. For example, he said, if two teams find out their respective opponents are out, then maybe they can play each other instead. 'As far as I know, we are ready to play . We should do the ones that we can right now and move forward,' he said. 'Let's do it and whoever is supposed to play will play - let's get these games done.' Another factor is that teams need to be prepared to play with whomever is healthy, he said. 'If one athlete is sick or two athletes, the team can still play. there are others on the team,' he said. In previous interviews, Debold had emphasized the need for physical activity for students and the numerous physical and social benefits it brings to the athletes. With COVID still a concern, he has shared that it's important for people to stay physically active for a robust immune system. In those interviews, he emphasized the steps interscholastic sports organizations have put into place since competitions were allowed in January of 2021. The leagues have put in measures - often more stringent than the private sector - to ensure athlete safety is paramount, while promoting the physical, emotional and mental benefits of exercise and competition, he had stated.
Courtesy of: postguam.com