Alma Area Schools - Promoting Lifelong Learning and Achievement

July 27, 2020 
 
To Whom It May Concern: 
 
The School District Administrators for the member schools of the Dairyland Conference have been working hard to find the best course of action for fall sports. The primary focus of this discussion as always was the safety of our student athletes, their families, their coaches, and their fans. The administrative team took into account the recent plans shared out by the WIAA as well as insights and ideas shared by coaches and athletic directors. After much discussion, the Dairyland Conference Administrators approved the adoption of the WIAA plans for fall sports with some specific additions.  
 
Football Football will have their equipment handout on Monday, September 7 and begin practice on September 8. The game that was scheduled on September 18th will now be a scrimmage and September 25th will be the first scheduled game. In the event we are unable to have playoffs this year, The Dairyland Conference will move the first two scheduled conference games that were missed to October 23 and October 30. All regular season games will be against conference opponents.  
 
Volleyball The first practice for volleyball will be September 7. The September 10 game will be moved to September 12 and will be conducted as a scrimmage. The first scheduled game may be September 15. Multiple team events will not take place nor will any non-conference competition. Teams will only compete against one other opponent in any given week. This would allow for the possibility of playing the same opponent twice in the same week.  
 
Cross Country The first practice for cross country will be August 17. All competitions will be against conference opponents. The first competition for cross country may be August 24. Athletic Directors and the Conference Commissioner will create a conference only schedule for the 2020 season.  
 
Conference Standings and Conference Championships The Dairyland Conference administrators voted unanimously to suspend conference standings and conference championships for fall sports for 2020. With so much uncertainty in the season ahead, the consensus was that the focus needs to be on opportunities to play whenever possible and not worry about how missed games will affect a team’s standing.  
 
When will a game get cancelled?  When will an athlete or group of athletes need to sit out of a competition?  Will fans be allowed at competitions? If so, how many? The answer to all of these questions will be answered as the event dates are closer. These decisions will be made in conjunction between the administration of the competing teams and the local health departments for those schools. It is possible that one competition may see different restrictions or cancellation while other competitions still take place.  
 
Junior High/Middle School Sports 
Junior high/middle school sports will all start on September 8. Competitions for this level may be allowed for nearby competitors instead of strictly conference opponents.  
 
Flexibility will be critical with the fall 2020 sports season. Situations may change from one week to the next and authorities will respond appropriately to ensure opportunities are available when it is safe to do so.  
 
The Dairyland Conference and your local health departments thank you in advance for your patience, support, and understanding as we do our best to make our way through these unprecedented times.  
 
If you have any further questions, please contact your local school district administration or Rich Roginski, Dairyland Conference Commissioner.  
 
Sincerely,  
 
 
Rich Roginski        Conference Commissioner, Dairyland Conference