Whitmer and Khaldun Force All Student-Athletes to be Tested.

Written Friday March 19th at 3:10 PM

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services chief executive Joneuah Khaldun announced at an early morning Friday press conference that all student athletes are required to join a weekly antigen testing program. Whitmer and Khaldun stated that almost half of the rising cases in Michigan are coming from student-athletes playing school sports.

This new program would start on April 2^nd.

All sports from 13 to 19 years old are required to be in this program which includes middle school and club sports. However higher indoor risk contact winter sports like hockey, cheerleading, and wrestling would be completed before the new program takes effect. Basketball would be in their final week of competition with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Also baseball, softball, and track and field are considered non contact sports while girls soccer and both boys and girls lacrosse are considered to be contact sports despite all of these sports being played outside which is much safer than indoor sports.

Mark Uyl the Executive Director of the MHSAA responded that all winter sports and tournaments will continue as scheduled and that the remaining wrestlers and basketball players will have to antigen test after April 2^nd. Also updated guidelines will be updated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. He also mentioned that all spring sport athletes are required to test but they don’t know if it will apply to all sports.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes for our kids to play and play safely” Uyl said.

Thoughts

I wasn’t surprised that Whitmer and Khaldun made this decision to test every student-athlete but the timing was very interesting that they would start after that hockey, cheerleading, and wrestling already completing their seasons and with basketball having a week to go. I don’t know if it’s a whole team or just that player that has to sit out if they test positive for the coronavirus. Also spring sports which most of them are outdoors which includes baseball, softball, tennis, and track and field. Therse are low risk sports while girls soccer and both girls and boys lacrosse are contact sports.

What I don’t get is that these spring sports are the less risky when it comes to outdoors and social distancing. End of the day at least school sports are not shut down again.

Stay tuned to the blog for the latest on this developing story.