Early Christmas Present: Boys State Hockey Tournament (Meeting Dec 3rd)

[ClassAGuy]

Minnesota State High School League readies for restarting winter sports, state tournaments
With youth sports on hold, a league task force has proposed a Dec. 21 start date and drawn up a draft "road map'' for winter state tournaments after canceling all such events in the fall.

By David La Vaque Star Tribune DECEMBER 1, 2020 — 6:52PM

Anything but idle during the current pause on winter sports, a Minnesota State High School League task force has finalized scenarios for the return of both the season and state tournaments.

On Thursday, the league’s board of directors is expected to vote on a recommendation to approve starting the winter sports season on Dec. 21, three days after Gov. Tim Walz’s four-week pause is set to end.

While some school districts have already decided to postpone winter sports until after Jan. 1, the league seeking to be ready to go on that date keeps it in concert with non-high school levels of youth sports.

The board is also set to discuss models for state tournaments, the traditional season-ending events that were canceled this fall.

Both recommendations come from the league’s Return to Participation Task Force. The group is a mix of 15 activities directors and region representatives encompassing the state. The newly created task force began meeting weekly in the fall to navigate the fast and fluid changes to sports schedules triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

The task force met Monday to choose from four models for having winter and spring sports. Members broke into four small groups, three of which recommended the model to start winter sports Dec. 21 and conclude state tournaments by the first full week of April.

Dean Haugo, a task force member and Moorhead activities director, previously said he regretted the loss of fall state tournaments.

“We should have had them as an option instead of canceling them early,” Haugo said at the Nov. 12 meeting, where discussions intensified. “It’s easier to cancel them later than realizing we should try to put them back on.”

The recommended model means all winter sports would lose one week from their traditionally scheduled amount, with both genders of basketball and hockey losing two weeks (from 18 to 16). In October, the board approved a 30% reduction in winter sports games and meets.

“In talking with coaches, they want games more than weeks,” said Russ Reetz, task force member and Prior Lake activities director.

The task force’s work simultaneously involves winter and spring sports, given the potential overlap of student participants. Indoor facility use is also a concern, especially in late March and early April when weather is unpredictable. Last spring, the league’s coronavirus response wiped out sports. Maintaining a full-length spring season in 2021 is a priority.

This recommended model has most spring sports starting the last week of March, with normal season lengths, and state tournaments ending by June 19.

In terms of the postseason, small group feedback supported shrinking the section playoffs from two weeks to one. This allows some sports an additional week in the regular season for flexibility in case COVID-19 forces unforeseen delays. Other sports, meanwhile, have one less week of overlap with the spring season.

The task force’s recommended winter and spring schedule information is based on draft documents that are subject to league review and adjustments.

Another working document of keen interest to winter sports athletes, coaches and fans is the league’s “State Tournament Road Map,” designed to identify options and models for hosting winter state tournaments.

The document was developed by Craig Perry, a former league associate director being paid as an independent contractor for various services.

“We recognize how valuable and important having a state tournament is,” Perry said during the Nov. 12 introduction of the road map document.

Perry’s work attempts to balance the desire to capture the traditional state tournament experience with current restrictions on attendance. Concerns include health and safety guidelines, venue availability and costs, and revenue streams. The league dropped state tournaments from its 2020-21 budget, shrinking it to $5 million.

In October, the league nearly approved a “super regional” model for state tournaments, allowing for culminating events while mitigating travel. Likewise, the league’s ‘‘road map’’ allows for tournament format options.

Jill Johnson, Return to Participation Task Force chair and Waconia activities director, said during the Nov. 12 meeting, “It’s exciting to think that there might be something at the end of the tunnel for winter.”

Well gotta say starting Sports the Monday of Christmas Week and families gathering may be the dumbest thing the MSHSL has come up with yet. Lets cram in 3 days so that covid can spread for sure by January....

However, like the State Tournment being a go now... Just wish a common sense Start date of Jan 4th was used. Use the week of Dec 28th to the boys get back in shape after doing nothing for 4 weeks.

Good news though looking ahead

[BP]

Minnesota State High School League readies for restarting winter sports, state tournaments
With youth sports on hold, a league task force has proposed a Dec. 21 start date and drawn up a draft "road map'' for winter state tournaments after canceling all such events in the fall.

By David La Vaque Star Tribune DECEMBER 1, 2020 — 6:52PM

Anything but idle during the current pause on winter sports, a Minnesota State High School League task force has finalized scenarios for the return of both the season and state tournaments.

On Thursday, the league’s board of directors is expected to vote on a recommendation to approve starting the winter sports season on Dec. 21, three days after Gov. Tim Walz’s four-week pause is set to end.

While some school districts have already decided to postpone winter sports until after Jan. 1, the league seeking to be ready to go on that date keeps it in concert with non-high school levels of youth sports.

The board is also set to discuss models for state tournaments, the traditional season-ending events that were canceled this fall.

Both recommendations come from the league’s Return to Participation Task Force. The group is a mix of 15 activities directors and region representatives encompassing the state. The newly created task force began meeting weekly in the fall to navigate the fast and fluid changes to sports schedules triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

The task force met Monday to choose from four models for having winter and spring sports. Members broke into four small groups, three of which recommended the model to start winter sports Dec. 21 and conclude state tournaments by the first full week of April.

Dean Haugo, a task force member and Moorhead activities director, previously said he regretted the loss of fall state tournaments.

“We should have had them as an option instead of canceling them early,” Haugo said at the Nov. 12 meeting, where discussions intensified. “It’s easier to cancel them later than realizing we should try to put them back on.”

The recommended model means all winter sports would lose one week from their traditionally scheduled amount, with both genders of basketball and hockey losing two weeks (from 18 to 16). In October, the board approved a 30% reduction in winter sports games and meets.

“In talking with coaches, they want games more than weeks,” said Russ Reetz, task force member and Prior Lake activities director.

The task force’s work simultaneously involves winter and spring sports, given the potential overlap of student participants. Indoor facility use is also a concern, especially in late March and early April when weather is unpredictable. Last spring, the league’s coronavirus response wiped out sports. Maintaining a full-length spring season in 2021 is a priority.

This recommended model has most spring sports starting the last week of March, with normal season lengths, and state tournaments ending by June 19.

In terms of the postseason, small group feedback supported shrinking the section playoffs from two weeks to one. This allows some sports an additional week in the regular season for flexibility in case COVID-19 forces unforeseen delays. Other sports, meanwhile, have one less week of overlap with the spring season.

The task force’s recommended winter and spring schedule information is based on draft documents that are subject to league review and adjustments.

Another working document of keen interest to winter sports athletes, coaches and fans is the league’s “State Tournament Road Map,” designed to identify options and models for hosting winter state tournaments.

The document was developed by Craig Perry, a former league associate director being paid as an independent contractor for various services.

“We recognize how valuable and important having a state tournament is,” Perry said during the Nov. 12 introduction of the road map document.

Perry’s work attempts to balance the desire to capture the traditional state tournament experience with current restrictions on attendance. Concerns include health and safety guidelines, venue availability and costs, and revenue streams. The league dropped state tournaments from its 2020-21 budget, shrinking it to $5 million.

In October, the league nearly approved a “super regional” model for state tournaments, allowing for culminating events while mitigating travel. Likewise, the league’s ‘‘road map’’ allows for tournament format options.

Jill Johnson, Return to Participation Task Force chair and Waconia activities director, said during the Nov. 12 meeting, “It’s exciting to think that there might be something at the end of the tunnel for winter.”

Well gotta say starting Sports the Monday of Christmas Week and families gathering may be the dumbest thing the MSHSL has come up with yet. Lets cram in 3 days so that covid can spread for sure by January....

However, like the State Tournment being a go now... Just wish a common sense Start date of Jan 4th was used. Use the week of Dec 28th to the boys get back in shape after doing nothing for 4 weeks.

Good news though looking ahead

Agreed on 1/4 start date - makes no sense to start Xmas week.

And in regards to kids skating - there are A LOT that are - the ones relatively close to the boarders (including the Metro).

[InThePipes]

The board has been quiet the past week or so, this topic's probably going to have a few more replies by lunch

Hoping for the best

[ironranger2]

Seems like a no brainer they would keep everything shut down through the 1st of the year. Start winter sports up then, with games starting around 12th-15th. Any potential Covid cases from the holiday gatherings should be taken care of before then.

Could have section finals completed by Thursday, April 1st. Good Friday is on April 2nd, Easter is on April 4th. State Tournament is the following weekend. Pretty simple.

Everyone who lives in the northern half of the state knows that spring sports really don't start until mid to late April because of the weather. Spring sports are completed by mid-June.

[Schotzy]

Seems like a no brainer they would keep everything shut down through the 1st of the year. Start winter sports up then, with games starting around 12th-15th. Any potential Covid cases from the holiday gatherings should be taken care of before then.

Could have section finals completed by Thursday, April 1st. Good Friday is on April 2nd, Easter is on April 4th. State Tournament is the following weekend. Pretty simple.

Everyone who lives in the northern half of the state knows that spring sports really don't start until mid to late April because of the weather. Spring sports are completed by mid-June.

Yup

[MNHockeyFan]

Spring sports are completed by mid-June.

Just in time for ice-out!

[elliott70]

MSHSL met today with a tentative return to play for high school hockey and a proposed date of the last week in March for the high school hockey state tournaments with the tournaments ending on March 29th.

[Usthockey13]

They voted 18-0 to start Dec 21st (pending walz extension) and games to start 1/4. If the pause is extended then start dates would be 1/4 or 1/18 with games starting 2 weeks later. Also will be dependent on each separate school district.

[ironranger2]

Does anyone honestly think the state will lift the restrictions until after the holidays? I am one of those that think they should have kept the youth sports going through all of this, but at this point I am not sure I would blame them if they said let's open everything back up on January 2nd instead of December 21st.

[bodyup88]

Absolutely ridiculous to try to start games by Jan 4th. We've been shut down for months and now we're going to try to cram a bunch of practices and a scrimmage or two around Christmas and New Year's. Also, what happened to the mandatory pause around Christmas earlier, wiping out all of the holiday tournaments. It wasn't OK to play or practice then but it is now? Get some common sense and let the kids have an actual Christmas break this year (maybe the only silver lining) without having to worry about rushing back to a practice. There's plenty of time to get a season in by going in to early April.

[Schotzy]

Absolutely ridiculous to try to start games by Jan 4th. We've been shut down for months and now we're going to try to cram a bunch of practices and a scrimmage or two around Christmas and New Year's. Also, what happened to the mandatory pause around Christmas earlier, wiping out all of the holiday tournaments. It wasn't OK to play or practice then but it is now? Get some common sense and let the kids have an actual Christmas break this year (maybe the only silver lining) without having to worry about rushing back to a practice. There's plenty of time to get a season in by going in to early April.

I think it is a safe bet that things will not get started until after January 1st.

[Usthockey13]

I think Monday Jan 4th would be the best. Get through the holidays. Give teams 2 full weeks for tryouts and practice. The model shows if the start is 1/4 or 1/18 the season will be 13 or 11 weeks and go till the 1st weekend in April.

[jg2112]

I think Monday Jan 4th would be the best. Get through the holidays. Give teams 2 full weeks for tryouts and practice. The model shows if the start is 1/4 or 1/18 the season will be 13 or 11 weeks and go till the 1st weekend in April.

Eh, I'd give it to January 11. The idea of kids, families, etc. mixing during Christmas and then New Year's Eve, and THEN showing up at a rink or court 3 days later seems like a really bad one.

It's only going to take one more surge of infections to spike the winter sports season. We're going to need patience given the ridiculously bad infection and death tolls we're now seeing on a daily basis.

[Usthockey13]

Well 1/11 isn’t one of the 3 models. The 3 options the HS league gave to start was 12/21 games start 1/4. #2 is 1/4 start with games 1/18 or #3 start 1/18 and games start 2/1. So I’ll take the Jan 4th option..

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Models, schmodels. Men make plans & God laughs. As I wrote here on another post, I really get a kick out of these various sports organizations that make plans, with no apparent caveat that, "Yeah, we've got this new schedule, but realize things could change quickly."

I fully expect the saloons to stay closed through New Years, and pretty well expect youth sports to be put off until at least Jan. 1 too. First, we have to see how bad things get in the wake of Thanksgiving. That will inform how we react to possibly extending shut downs past Dec. 21. If Thanksgiving weekend is shown to be a big source of mini-spreader events, it's reasonable to conclude that Christmas time will be just as bad if not worse. I cringe at the thought of weekend tournaments with families traveling across the state for holiday tournaments. (My sister once lamented that her boys' tournaments were always in opposite corners of the state.) It's tough to let off the gas when a demon is on your bumper.

Also, as was pointed out, it's not just the MSHSL. It is also effected by local school district decisions, as well as local rink operators.

Something's gotta give, it'll suck, it'll hurt, but there's just no good or fair way to do this.

[InThePipes]

For any of those on the board that have a bit more insight into MSHSL and/or MN Hockey, which way is the wind currently blowing? Case #'s and hospitalization census #'s have all come down from the highs in the past couple of weeks, will that be enough for Walz to allow the kids back on the ice for practices/tryouts, etc.?

[elliott70]

MH expects to begin practices on the 19th and games on Jan. 4.
It is expected that the season will be extended with a state tourney likely toward the end of March.

[Usthockey13]

Those dates for MN hockey are dependent on what Walz decides to do in the next week or 2 ?

[elliott70]

Those dates for MN hockey are dependent on what Walz decides to do in the next week or 2 ?

Yes, but we believe he will let up on practice.
MH has put together numbers and a plan.

[goldy313]

Waltz has carte blanche until the next legislature is sworn in come late January. I fully expect at least another 30 day extension come December 18. The MSHSL defied him to play football and Walz did nothing, as did Townball. Will the MSHSL push him again? That is the question.

[Eastgreaser]

Until Covid is under control I think the whole hockey season should be cancelled

[moosepaw]

Numbers are not lying, 5600 infections today! It will be more than 2 weeks before we will be on the ice.

[BSUBeaver]

Waltz has carte blanche until the next legislature is sworn in come late January. I fully expect at least another 30 day extension come December 18. The MSHSL defied him to play football and Walz did nothing, as did Townball. Will the MSHSL push him again? That is the question.

If Walz orders ice rinks to remain closed, there are not a lot of options for the MSHSL to push him on. He did not order football fields or baseball fields closed.

[jg2112]

Numbers are not lying, 5600 infections today! It will be more than 2 weeks before we will be on the ice.

A large part of the problem can put aside the idea that kids are suffering during all of this. My skater's friends are constantly calling and sending messages to set up get togethers, sleepovers, etc. Social media is full of teenagers hanging out. A number of my skater's friends have caught COVID in the past 2 weeks because of sleepovers and parties.

Walz's request to social distance isn't being listened to. I partially get it - being a teenager the past 9 months has had to be excruciating and awful. However, these kids' winter sports seasons are hanging in the balance and many of them are ignoring the rules.

The reaction if distancing measures are extended will be loud. However, Americans in general have been unique in their disregard of the health and wellbeing of others during this pandemic, and the pain has been self-inflicted to the detriment of our elderly and health care workers. Europe's curve is bending and they might be able to gather for Christmas. In America it's just getting worse but, YOLO? I fear Christmas is going to lead to further catastrophe, which is just terrible given how close we are to vaccine distribution.

[Usthockey13]

Those dates for MN hockey are dependent on what Walz decides to do in the next week or 2 ?

Yes, but we believe he will let up on practice.
MH has put together numbers and a plan.

I hope that is the case would be nice to get the kids back on the ice. This is a big as Walz said hell be announcing this plans for the pause by weeks end.