The Barbour County athletic department has no more immediate decisions to make, as the school system in Alabama has canceled high school sports for the entire 2020-21 school year.
The Dothan Eagle reported Tuesday that Barbour County High School will sit out fall, winter and spring sports during the upcoming school year due to COVID-19 concerns.
“It has been in the plans per our superintendent for a while,” athletic director Joe Briggs said, referring to Dr. Matthew Alexander, Jr., the superintendent who made the decision last week. “He had been watching the COVID cases over the summer and he put it in the writing and also made a phone call Mr. (Steve) Savarese with the Alabama High School Athletic Association on Thursday.”
According to AL.com, Barbour County is the third Alabama county that has canceled sports for the fall. However, Barbour County — located in Clayton in the southeastern portion of the state — is the first to wipe out sports for the entire school year. Montgomery County Public Schools, the largest district in Maryland, announced last week that it had canceled all fall and winter sports.
Related content: Maryland School District Cancels Fall, Winter Sports
“It is about keeping people safe first,” Barbour County football coach Chad Martin told the Dothan Eagle, noting that he isn’t aware of any Barbour County students or staff members that have tested positive for COVID-19. “We all love football and we all want to get out there, play and do everything we can to do that, but you have to think not only of player safety, but if one of them catches it and they are asymptomatic they can bring it home and some of them live with grandparents.
“It hurts to not play, but at the same time, you really and truly have to put safety first and the players’ and their families’ livelihood first.”
Barbour County hasn’t announced a decision on how school instruction will be conducted this year. The district facilities in Clayton, which has a population of about 3,000, have been closed since mid-March.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association currently plans to move forward with sports on time.
Related content: California Postpones High School Sports Until December
