The important discussions are still to come and the approach is sure to be cautious, but the door remains open for BIIF sports to return this school year.
Starting Monday, high school students are allowed to resume workouts, the Department of Education said in an email last week, provided the school is “delivering either an in-person or blended learning model of instruction.”
Waiakea High athletic director Tom Correa said the Warriors are ineligible to return to team conditioning Monday because the school is not using a blended model – under the DOE’s official definition.
“This opens up more questions and creates some possibilities about answers that still need to come,” he said.
According to the DOE release, the “status of interscholastic competition (is) to be determined by island league associations.”
The next BIIF athletics directors’ meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, and Pahoa AD Hoku Haliniak said the recent DOE edict would sure to be a topic of conversation. Any recommendations would be taken up by the BIIF principals.
As for a possible return to play for spring sports, a time crunch remains, Correa said, because student-athletes would likely need four to six weeks to get their conditioning before proceeding further toward a season.
“Four weeks puts us in April and six is mid-April, and we have graduation in mid-May,” he said. “There are still many hurdles to clear before we get to competitions.”
Haliniak said Pahoa is putting off a return to practice until at least March 22. Even if there isn’t a BIIF season during the spring, she’s hopeful the Daggers can compete in softball and boys volleyball within the Kau-Keaau-Pahoa Complex.
Hilo High AD Kaeo Drummondo said the Vikings will assess the situation.
“We will be meeting in the coming week to discuss the possibility of bringing back our student-athletes during the fourth quarter,” Drummondo said in a text to the Tribune-Herald. “Although this is something we would like to do, we need to ensure that we can do it in a safe manner.”