Jaguars to scrimmage with fans
By JEREMY SELLEW
jsellew@yourmvi.com
There’s at least one school in the area that has officially announced the return of fans for its athletic activities.
In a letter posted on the district’s Facebook page and sent to parents, West Jefferson Hills School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Ghilani expressed his disdain for state officials’ unrealistic expectations when it comes to attendance.
“While I appreciate our state leadership realizing the need to allow parents to attend their children’s games, I don’t think it is very realistic for sports like football and girls volleyball where the facility limits are still 250 and 25 respectively, to be able to host parents and meet those numbers,” Ghilani wrote.
At tonight’s Thomas Jefferson football scrimmage against Gateway, two parents per player (or players’ siblings) will be allowed to attend the game. PPE (personal protective equipment) must be worn and physical distancing must be maintained at all times.
Ghilani noted the stadium will be marked to ensure each parent group maintains at least 6 feet of distance. The marked seats will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Since it is a scrimmage, the band and cheerleaders will not be attending, allowing for the parents to attend.
Sept. 14 is the first boys soccer game, and Ghilani announced parents will be able to attend all boys and girls soccer games for the entire season.
“Meeting the 250 capacity restriction will not be an issue; PPE and physical distancing will still need to be followed,” he wrote. “I’m sure that there is much excitement and joy that our kids will once again get the opportunity to compete and learn the many intangibles that can only be learned through high school athletics. We plan on running our full complement of fall athletic teams and cheerleading both at the middle school and high school.”
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