MSHSAA Board Approves Changes For Summer

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) board voted last Thursday to grant relief of portions of the by-laws that include summer limits on contact between coaches and student-athletes.
Dependent upon approval from local and state health officials, the MSHSAA board voted to make the summertime dead period and the summer limits on contact optional for the summer of 2020. With Thursday’s decision, a school may choose to comply with the annual  dead period or to allow teams to conduct activities.
Member schools may allow teams to have more than 20 days of contact in which any coaching or instruction in the skills and techniques of any sport takes place.
The board also voted to allow seniors to be viewed as enrolled students through the summer, which allows them to represent their high schools in summer interscholastic competition, for this year only.
“Hopefully, this will allow schools to play contests against other schools to provide closure and recognition for students and allow teams and kids to play together this summer,” said MSHSAA executive director Dr. Kerwin Urhahn. “The end of social distancing and ‘safe at home’ is still not clearly visible yet, and summer activities may not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”