The Virginia High School League is probably near the top of the list of organizations that want sports back as soon as possible. They most certainly are also at the top of the list of organizations centering their decisions on the health and well-being of student-athletes. That is why Friday the League announced their stance on "out of season practices"... in our instance that means organized cross country practices.
You can read the full press release below.
Some people are reading this as the start of widespread cancellations but really all it is saying is the League is already putting together many contingency plans and will be making decisions only after more is known as it relates to the reopening of our state.
The VHSL waited until just two weeks ago to officially cancel the spring sport season so we are very optimistic that the League will make all possible accommodations to get the cross country season in if possible.
What you should know though are these important numbers and dates. The first is the first official practice date which is August 3rd. The next date is August 26th which is the official first meet date. So right now both of these dates are very much in the realm of being on-time. The final and most important number is 20. That is the VHSL's minimum required days of practice prior to an athlete's first meet. That will be the number we look at most when a start of the season is announced. Unless there is an executive committee rule change or exception, this will mean the start of XC will be 21 days after the first practice day.
VHSL's Official Statement:
