All Sports Can Be Played This Fall In Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — All sports, contact and non-contact, can move forward this fall in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday.

Schools and athletic conferences that wish to move a fall sport to the spring may do so, DeWine said. However, the order simply allows sports to be played in the fall.

Only family members will be allowed to attend games as spectators. Parents of marching band members, drill teams or other game-time entertainment will also be allowed to attend events.

"We know sports do increase the rate of COVID-19 spread, particularly contact sports," the governor said. "The more spread there is in a community, the more spread there will be in a school and the higher risk there will be for students and athletes."

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Tuesday's orders apply to any organized sports in Ohio, DeWine said. The orders were crafted with input from parents, athletes, politicians and medical officials.

The governor said sports provide order and structure to student athletes and brings joy to their lives and their parents. He said decisions about playing or not playing sports could not be made in a vacuum.

"We hope our orders provides the best guidance for playing sports in the era of COVID-19," DeWine said.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association promised changes to the upcoming football season, including a truncated scheduled. All teams would now make the playoffs, which would begin Oct. 9 and conclude Nov. 21.

The move to allow fall sports in Ohio comes after the Big Ten Conference postponed its fall season. Conference officials said they weighed the risks of COVID-19 while debating moving forward with fall sports. Ultimately, the dangers posed to athletes, coaches, staff and fans were too much to move forward with the season.

A Medical Perspective

Dr. Jim Borchers, a specialist in sports medicine at Wexner Medical Center, joined DeWine's news conference on Tuesday. He said the rate of community spread has a direct impact on how dangerous sports are as a source of COVID-19 transmission.

"Every individual needs to look at what's going on in their environment and the infectivity rate locally," Borchers said when asked if he would let his children play sports. If the rate is controlled and the community has embraced health guidelines, Borchers said he would let his own child play sports. If spread of the virus is high locally, he would have concerns about moving forward with sports.

Borchers said medical officials are still learning about COVID-19's effect on the heart, which is a major source of concern for student athletes. The doctor said the unknowns of the virus are another reason communities should focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19, rather than grappling with an outbreak.

If a student tests positive for the virus, Borchers said, "that student and their family should meet with their medical provider and make certain they're cleared for sport." That could mean extensive testing, including cardiology tests.