FHSAA task force recommends fall sports practice is delayed until August

High school football players in Southwest Florida are prepping to get in the game. They’re doing conditioning but might have to wait a little longer for official practices after a recent recommendation. Still, players and coaches can’t wait for the day when they can get back on the field.

With the recent increase in coronavirus cases throughout the state, Florida High School Athletics Association thinks practice for athletics should be delayed, recommending that fall sports teams should practice no earlier than August 10.

“The unknown is how the school reopening are going to go,” said Mark Rosenbalm, the coordinator for interscholastic athletics at Colier County Public School. “And to have a start date before that doesn’t make sense to me. Let’s figure out how obviously they are students first and then they are athletes second.”

We spoke to head coach Sam Sirianni Thursday about how he is preparing Fort Myers High School football team to return to play.

“I know they are all excited at the opportunity to get back and do some things that they’ve looked forward to their whole lives,” Sirianni said.

But FHSAA’s fall sports task force says even practicing might be happening too soon.

The FHSAA task force can only make recommendations. To practice or not to practice is left to the board of directors.

Currently, fall football practice officially begins July 27. If the FHSAA does move the date to August based on the recommendation, the regular season would likely begin mid-September.

Sirianni agrees with Rosenbalm that practice should be delayed until school actually starts.

“It kinda gave everybody that chance to kind of pull back, see where we are,” Sirianni said. “Kinda slow the train down a bit and get a chance for those as these decisions are finalized.”