SPOKANE – The Greater Spokane League has adjusted its sports schedule to comply with changes made to reopening phases by the state Department of Health. The changes were also made in conjunction with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and apply to previously released Season 1 sports.
“Due to our weather, field conditions and COVID-19 numbers, we have staggered the start date of the league’s Season 1 sports season,” officials said in a Jan. 15 release.
Season 1 for volleyball and girls swimming and diving begins Feb. 8 and concludes March 28. Swimming and diving competitions can begin in Phase 1 of the state’s plan while volleyball must wait for Phase 2.
Football will start Feb. 15 and end April 11, with competition also prohibited until Phase 2. Girls soccer and cross country will start Feb. 22 and end April 11, with cross country competition beginning under Phase 1 without spectators while soccer must wait for Phase 2.
Slow-pitch softball has been moved to a later season that will be opposite fastpitch softball. An announcement about other sports listed in Seasons 2 and 3 will be made after the WIAA makes decisions regarding those sports.
“We are committed to bringing our athletes back to all three sports seasons in a safe manner by following the Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery guidelines,” GSL officials said in the news release.
Those changes included grouping counties together into regions for decisions based on COVID-19 metrics rather than county by county. To advance from Phase 1 to Phase 2, all four of the following metrics must be met:
Decreasing trend in two-week rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population of greater than 10%
Decreasing trend in two-week rate of new COVID-19 hospital admission rates per 100,000 population of greater than 10%
ICU occupancy of total COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 of less than 90%
COVID-19 test positivity rate of 10 % or less
Roadmap to Recovery metrics for the East Region – which includes Spokane County – released Friday, Jan. 15 showed decreasing rates in the first three metrics of 26%, 11% and 74% but increasing rates of 17% in test positivity rates.
Classification changes has revamped the GSL into three tiers that were to begin with fall 2020 competition. Those changes are: 4A classification – Central Valley, Gonzaga Prep and Lewis & Clark; 3A classification – Cheney, Ferris, Mead, Mt. Spokane, North Central and University High and 2A classification – Clarkston, East Valley, Pullman, Rogers, Shadle Park and West Valley.
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