OLATHE, Kan. — Both the Olathe School District and Blue Valley School District have now approved practices and competitions for fall school sports.
School boards are departing from Johnson County’s gating criteria for school athletics and extracurricular activities.
Students who want to play football in Olathe must attend classes online for the entire sports season and for two weeks after the season ends, unless they receive a negative COVID-19 test.
Cheerleading will be limited to the sidelines, and all other activities are moderate risk, with appropriate mitigation measures in place. There will be more separation and masks for band members, choir and the dance team.
“We realize the season is going to look different, really across the state,” said Tim Brady, district director of athletics and activities for Olathe schools.
“It’s not unique for Kansas, for Olathe or anybody else. It’s going to look different. We are going to have to limit the number of fans who come in. We have to limit how many football players we have on the sidelines on a typical Friday night. This will affect the band, cheer, dance, our student section. We will be unfurling information in the near future.”
Brady said athletic directors at the high schools began scheduling games at 7 a.m. Friday. Olathe is limiting its competition to what it calls a “Sunflower League bubble.” Right now that means outside of other Olathe schools, teams will play only Mill Valley and the two Lawrence high schools.
Brady said each team member will be given four tickets for varsity events. Both home and visiting teams will receive an equal number of tickets.
Olathe schools will live stream all varsity football, volleyball and soccer games. Brady said there’s likely to be more severe spectator limitations for non-varsity events.
