DENVER — The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) has gotten permission from the state to allow Season B sports and activities to start practice on Jan. 18.
This comes after those activities were delayed from their initial Jan. 4 start date to at least Feb. 1 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Colorado, particularly in the Denver metro area.
In a news release, CHSAA said it was able to secure a variance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) following multiple meetings over the past week.
CHSAA said the variance was granted in part because of Gov. Jared Polis' push for schools to prioritize in-person and hybrid learning.
Previously, CHSAA-sponsored events could not continue due to public health restrictions in multiple Colorado counties that were classified as level red. Before CHSAA secured the new variance, state regulations limited the number of athletes who can be indoors at the same time.
>>> Watch the video above for a previous 9NEWS story about high school athletes responding to CHSAA's decision to delay the season.
This was detrimental for sports like basketball. Previous state regulations limited the number of athletes who could be indoors at once to 10 people. CHSAA said the variance increases that number to 24 athletes, not including coaches and trainers.
The organization said it will now hold a series of virtual meetings for athletic directors and coaches to provide details on the implementation of each sport.
Season B sports include:
- Boys and Girls Basketball
- Boys and Girls Skiing
- Boys and Girls Wrestling
- Girls Swim and Dive
- Ice Hockey
- Spirit (Championship Weekend March 25-27)
According to a previous 9NEWS report, CHSAA’s delay in allowing Season B sports to begin activities also impacts Seasons C and D.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports