On the move again: COVID-19 concerns delay start for Beaufort County sports teams
The Beaufort County School District is pushing back the start of summer workouts for its high school teams.
The district told its athletic directors Thursday that the first day schools can begin practices would be Aug. 17, one week later than previously announced. Earlier this month, Beaufort County said it hoped to start workouts Aug. 10. But the district decided to move date again with continued concerns over the coronavirus.
Beaufort County’s first day of activities coincides with the first official date of preseason practice for public schools.
A new record of daily COVID-19 cases in Beaufort County was set Thursday with the announced of 113 new cases. The county has recorded 3,387 cases since the pandemic started.
Beaufort County, Richland and Sumter County schools are three of the districts in the state that haven’t been able to hold summer workouts at all because of the coronavirus pandemic. Richland County will let its schools start work beginning Monday.
Many other S.C. districts have had to stop workouts after starting them, but schools in Lexington, York, Spartanburg and Horry counties have resumed or are close to resuming workouts. Greenville and Charleston County schools stopped their workouts but haven’t set a date to return.
The South Carolina High School League let teams begin Phase 1 of workouts (weightlifting and conditioning) on June 8 and is letting its schools move to Phase 1.5 of workouts on Monday. Phase 1.5 includes increasing workout group size to 15 plus a coach and allows for the sharing of a ball.
With workouts going on in a majority of the state, there is still some skepticism that there will be sports, especially football, played on campus this fall. Football is one of the sports considered high risk for spreading COVID-19. There’s always the possibility that workouts could be shut down again.
The SCHSL’s appellate panel decided to not vote last week on Lexington County’s appeal for the state to use its high school sports plan, which would shift high-risk sports into the new year. Another appellate panel meeting is set for 11 a.m. Aug. 10.
If Lexington County wins the appeal, their plan would move football into January and baseball and softball to the fall. If the appeal is denied, the SCHSL plan would remain in effect for the sports calendar. Under the SCHSL plan, teams would start practice as early as Aug. 17 with competitions beginning in September.
The SCHSL had a Facebook live on Thursday and allowed schools submit any concerns or questions they had on Phase 1.5.
“We are in Phase 1.5 and intend to move forward. Everyone to do part to move to Phase 2 and then 3,” SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton said Thursday.
South Carolina Independent Schools Association, which includes Hilton Head Prep, Hilton Head Christian and John Paul II, among others, are off this week after beginning summer workouts June 8.
The first official SCISA practice of the season is Monday, and football games plan to start Aug. 28.
This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 1:53 PM.
