Corona Waivers?

[bucky]

Originally Posted by LRZ

Why would I voluntarily concede that benefit to schools?

To answer the question, some would concede the benefit in order to work at the school. Not to be snide or argue, but officials concede things all the time in order to work at schools, many of which are considered inherent risks.

[LRZ]

Originally Posted by bucky

To answer the question, some would concede the benefit in order to work at the school. Not to be snide or argue, but officials concede things all the time in order to work at schools, many of which are considered inherent risks.

That may be, but there are risks and then there are BIG RISKS, like the risk of serious, life-threatening illness or death. And, at my level, we're not talking about sacrificing college-level fees by refusing to sign a waiver and not working a game. I'm retired, I don't need the money to live on, and, at my age, the amount I earn is hardly enough to risk my health.

I'm more leery about basketball than soccer, my other officiating sport. We have not heard anything about waivers in soccer, which begins next week. If the league and its schools don't require waivers for soccer--and we still don't know for sure--who knows if they will do likewise for basketball, being played indoors, in a smaller space, and with closer proximity to players. There is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty, and we have not received definitive protocols from the state or league.

[BillyMac]

Some good news:

https://www.courant.com/news/connect...4qi-story.html

[BillyMac]

Got an interesting email yesterday. Our state board (representing six local boards, covering every interscholastic basketball official in the state) has decided to withhold our annual dues to the state interscholastic sports governing body until were assured that there will be interscholastic basketball in the winter of 2020-21 (basketball officials are the only winter sports officials to withhold annual dues).

Also received another email from a reliable source who is hearing about many high schools and/or school systems opting out of junior varsity, freshman, and middle school basketball games this upcoming COVID season.

The only fall indoor sport here is girls volleyball and the girls are playing while wearing masks, a concession made to the State Department of Health, who initially wanted fall girls volleyball to be played outdoors. I don't know much about girls high school volleyball but it seems to be a stop and start game that can be played with masks.

I'm not so sure that high school basketball can be played while wearing masks, if it ever comes to that.

I think back to my varsity officiating days, on large high school courts (some college size), trying to run like a gazelle, finishing the game with my underskirt, jersey, slacks, and socks, fully soaked in sweat, working only as as an official, not actually playing, I can't imagine high school players participating while wearing masks.