With the promise of a new semester, the increased optimism of schools opening to on-campus learning, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District adjusting the mitigation plans for high school athletics to accommodate both practices and inter-school competition; 2021 offers hope for athletics to again fill the calendar.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has followed the ASAA recommendations for Nordic Ski; however, may modify the hockey and basketball start dates to coincide with the start of in-school instruction, which could be as early as January 11th.
KPBSD Superintendent John O’Brien’s announcement concerning the start of school and the start of activities in January.
“I let principals and the board of education know on Friday in my updates to them that we are likely going to hold-off on the start sports until students are back in school. I do anticipate that if the numbers continue like this that it will be the (January) 11th.”
High school athletic directors throughout the Kenai Peninsula have developed practice and competition schedules for hockey and basketball which include games and competition between KPBSD schools. Those schedules may need a little tweaking with KPBSD Superintendent John O’Brien’s announcement concerning the start of school and the start of activities in January. The district’s decision is working in cooperation with other school districts throughout Alaska.
O’Brien on statewide efforts…
“We’ve been in close communication with the other “Big Five” school districts: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Mat-Su and Juneau, to see what’s going on. We are in coordination with them. A lot of those districts are really taking January as a practice. Many are only allowing their athletes to compete against other teams within their school district.”
The Alaska School Activities Association set a start date for hockey on January 4th and a start date for basketball and basketball cheer for January 11th. Nordic Ski has been allowed to practice, without competition, as the only outdoor sport on the activity calendar for winter 2020-21.
O’Brien on Nordic Ski…
“Right now, Nordic skiing is going on, the only outdoors sport. We’ve already approved those mitigation plans and those teams are practicing.”
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has followed the ASAA recommendations for Nordic Ski; however, may modify the hockey and basketball start date to coincide with the start in in-school instruction.
O’Brien on start-up…
” We haven’t made any final decisions on that. We are really waiting to see what the numbers do over the holiday. We’ll have a big announcement in the new year about what the sports are going to look like here on the Kenai Peninsula.”
A tentative hockey schedule has been produced by athletic directors at Kenai, Homer and SoHi and the schedule is available on the hockey story at radiokenai.com. A composite Kenai Peninsula basketball schedule is being developed and will be available soon at radiokenai.com.
