The Arkansas Activities Association, after working with the Arkansas Department of Health and the governor’s committee for high school sports, released its guidelines for the 2020-2021 high school basketball season on Friday.
The list to combat COVID-19, which includes social distancing measures in the stands and on the benches and the wearing of masks, can be found on the AAA website.
One major adjustment will be the elimination of regular-season tournaments this season.
The statement read: “One of the AAA modifications for basketball stated: “NO MULTI SCHOOL EVENTS IN OR OUT OF STATE - such as tournaments, classics, showcases, etc.”
El Dorado hasn’t hosted a regular-season tournament in several years but, annually, has participated in several.
“Not playing the tournaments doesn’t get you into the state tournament field and it may be hard to fill the schedule,” said El Dorado athletic director Phillip Lansdell. “It also eliminates opportunities for schools to make money for their programs.”
El Dorado boys’ coach Jimmy Porter said his team is just happy to get to play.
“We are excited to get the opportunity to have a season. We have been following the state mandates in regard to social distancing and using masks,” said Porter. “The announcement (Friday) was no surprise but will take some getting used to. For me specifically, it will be figuring out a way to communicate with kids in a packed gym during in-game situations. The mask eliminates lip reading so I think you will see a lot of hand signals, white boards, and signs by our staff.
“All tournaments and classics were cancelled but I think that will turn into a positive for us. Our schedule was set when I took the job. The new directive allows me to make some changes and put us up against some different opponents.”