TRI-CITY AREA — The following statements are attributable to Mark Uyl, executive director of the Michigan High School Athletic Association, in response to last Thursday’s announcement by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on the topic of winter contact sports.
Winter contact sports, including MHSAA activities in girls’ and boy’s basketball along with competitive cheer, ice hockey and wrestling must remain non-contact through February 21. The previous emergency order was set to expire at the end of January and would have allowed those activities to begin contact activities February 1.
“We did not anticipate this delay in winter contact practices and competition,” Uyl said. “The announcement has created many new questions,” he noted.
“Obviously, this is disappointing to thousands of athletes who have been training with their teams over the last week and watching teams in other states around Michigan play for the last two months.”
The MHSAA Executive Council is expected to meet in the days ahead to discuss their plans moving forward.
Kevin Kissane has been covering high school sports for the Tri-City Times since 1985. When not standing on a field or court with his camera and notepad, he enjoys golf, travel and family. Kevin is a 1980 graduate of Capac High School, and is also a grad of St. Clair Community College and earned a degree in journalism from Central Michigan University.
