Attendance restricted for winter sports postseason games, no statewide mandate on practices

Clara Bowman, News Editor

All Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA winter postseason events this weekend, March 12-14, will continue as scheduled with restricted attendance. With the exception of the boys’ swimming and diving championships and girls’ gymnastics finals, for which no onsite spectators are allowed, attendance will be restricted to parents, legal guardians and essential administrators. Cheerleaders, bands, and other gatherings for sport events will not be permitted. All events will also be  streamed on MHSAA.tv free of charge to allow excluded fans to watch.

According to Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA Media and Contact Coordinator, practice cancellations are up to individual schools.

“Just because our state is so big, it is going to be determined on a school-by-school basis,” Kimmerly said.

All decisions currently being made are “based on recommendations from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer suggesting attendance limitations,” according to the official statement made at 10 a.m. MHSAA is continuously providing updates as the situation progresses. The status for remaining girls’ and boys’ basketball games (following March 14) will be announced by Monday, March 16.

Spring sports are still up in the air.

“To be honest with you, we’re really just focusing on the last three weeks of winter at this point, that’s where 100 percent of our energies are going,” Kimmerly said.

An additional update will be provided today, March 12, at 2 p.m. about MHSAA livestreaming.