On March 16, the IGHSAU, IHSAA, IHSMA, and IHSSA announced that all spring activities are prohibited through the state’s K-12 school recommended closure of four weeks.

Effective immediately from now through April 12, all IHSAA and IGHSAU sports are now in a prohibited period for practice, competition, and sanctioned activity until the closure is lifted.

IHSMA has cancelled Class 4A and 1A solo/small ensemble festival set for April 18, and the state large group festival series set for May 8-9.

All IHSSA (speech) events will be prohibited to practice or make up their individual state local contest until the closure is lifted. All contact between coaches, judges, and students for the duration of the period is prohibited. The all-state festival scheduled for March 30 has been cancelled.

As this situation is rapidly changing, all four organizations continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as necessary. Notifications will go out immediately to member schools should updates be made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If a school does not cancel classes, can students practice?

A. No. All practice, competition and sanctioned activities are cancelled for all schools.

Q. What specifically is prohibited for coaches and their athletes?

A. In-person contact between coaches/administrators and student-athletes for the duration of the period is prohibited. This means no practices, no competitions, no scrimmages, no strength and conditioning activities, no training sessions or participation with other school programs.

Q. Does this impact the length of the spring seasons?

A. No decisions on spring sports seasons after the four-week closure period have been made. Guidance on future IGHSAU and IHSAA activity schedule adjustments and their effects on season lengths, as well as postseason events, will be announced through www.iahsaa.org and www.ighsau.org.

Q. What happens to softball and baseball in the summer?

A. The first practice date for boys’ baseball and girls’ softball, May 4, remains the same until further information is provided.

Q. May a coach email their athletes a workout or practice plan?

A. If the permissible practice date is in effect, it is permissible for a coach to email individual plans to athletes. Please note, these plans should not encourage group activities, however small, with other team members. Coaches should take great care to communicate appropriately and effectively the expectation that workouts should be done by individuals on their own time and are voluntary in nature.

Q. How does this apply to unsanctioned athletic programs, such as clubs within the schools?

A. Local district policies would govern those activities and organizations.

Q. May a music instructor continue to practice for the make-up of a previously missed contest with students during the closure?

A. There should be no in-person contact between teachers/administrators and participants for the duration of the prohibited period. Any effort to provide IHSMA participants with a make-up experience should take place only via digital media through the duration of the prohibited period.

Q. IHSSA is allowing its speech participants to make up the state contest locally. Can teachers/coaches schedule practices and/or make up contests with judges during this time?

A. All IHSSA events will be prohibited to practice or make up their individual state local contest until the closure is lifted. All contact between coaches, judges, and students for the duration of the period is prohibited. The all-state festival scheduled for March 30 has been cancelled.

Q. I am a spring sport official and planned to attend a clinic that was postponed. What should I do?

A. All officiating clinics within the four-week timeframe have been postponed. As things progress, we will make an attempt to re-schedule some of those clinics if at all possible. If you are an official who must attend a clinic this year in order to be certified for post- season assignments, that requirement will be waived for this year.

Q. How will this delay affect the 30-day period of ineligibility for the scholarship rule and/or the 90-day period for transfers and open enrollments? Will the time off count toward the limits or will students have to serve the period once schools are back in session?

A. The IGHSAU and IHSAA are seeking guidance from the Department of Education specific to those provisions of the Iowa Code. Only the Department of Education has the ability to issue interpretations of Iowa Code. Once a determination has been made, we will notify school leaders. School administrators should continue to keep accurate records of how many days have been served toward each period for students in these situations.

Q. Are the association offices still open?

A. All offices are closed, but all administrators are working remotely and remain available.

Q. Who can I contact for more information if I have a question?

A. For girls’ sports, IGHSAU administrators will remain available during this time: www.ighsau.org/about/staff

For boys’ sports, IHSAA administrators will remain available during this time: www.iahsaa.org/about/staff

Future updates and guidance on IHSMA events will be available through www.ihsma.org.

Guidance on future IHSSA activity will be announced through www.ihssa.org