Harrell: Outlook grim for middle school sports this spring

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tim Harrell told members of the Wayne County Board of Education Wednesday “it does not look promising” for the school district to have middle school sports this year.

And while no formal decision has been made, he addressed numerous concerns that will likely doom football, soccer, baseball and softball — from academic eligibility and staffing issues to an inability to sufficiently fund them and execute the safety protocols required.

Eight of WCPS’ 10 middle school principals are “very concerned” about the prospect of having to field teams this spring, Harrell said, adding that “the majority of the (athletic directors) feel the same way.”

He characterized their concerns as “very valid” — starting with what they feel is the daunting task of executing mandatory safety protocols with far fewer staff than high schools have to work with.

Middle schools, Harrell said, do not, for example, have athletic trainers and many of the teams only have one coach who would be responsible for ensuring athletes are protected during practices and games.

And because middle school games are entirely in-county matchups, if one team entered a quarantine, both schools would see students miss significant instruction time. (Harrell noted that at the high school level, four teams have already had to quarantine since sports returned, including a basketball team last week.)

Given that middle school seasons are short, anyway, “one quarantine could potentially end the entire season,” he added.

The Plan B model also creates a problem unique to middle schools, as early dismissal means student-athletes would either have to be supervised on campus until practice/games begin or leave and find transportation back to campus.

“Those teachers are still teaching (virtual students after dismissal) … and we would have to find something to do with the children,” Harrell said.

The county athletic director also noted that not every middle school would even be able to field teams, as academic and attendance woes during first semester have created eligibility issues.

“We probably have at least three schools that would not be able to field middle school teams,” Harrell said. “If I had to bet, I would almost say it would be half because of attendance issues.”

Money is an issue, too, as state-mandated limits on spectators and what can be sold at concession stands means not enough cash is coming in to pay for officials and security.

“(Schools) are losing anywhere from $70 to $200 a night on high school basketball,” Harrell said.

And while the high school athletic association has funds available to help schools avoid going into the red, that money will not be there for middle schools.

“There is no endowment fund for middle schools,” Harrell said. “The district has been in the position in the past where we have assisted our middle school programs to help make sure they are properly equipped.”

All that means the outlook is grim.

“It’s getting very, very difficult (to justify having middle school sports),” Harrell said. “I’m not asking the board to make a decision tonight, but it does not look promising for us to be able to have middle school sports this year.”