As if changing course on its two most popular sports wasn't enough Monday, the Minnesota State High School League made one other fall sports move and signaled that its next board meeting on Oct. 1 will be a noteworthy one as well.
Adapted soccer approved: The league approved fall training for adapted soccer athletes that lets teams hold eight practice sessions from Sept. 21 to Oct. 23. However, games will not be allowed. The sport competes in physically impaired and cognitively impaired divisions.
Postseason format: Board members discussed options for concluding fall sports regular seasons with section-style competition in boys' and girls' soccer and cross-country, girls' tennis and girls' swimming and diving. Specifics are expected to be approved at the Oct. 1 meeting.
The timing is essential, given that tennis concludes its regular season next week. Soccer and cross-country wrap up their seasons by Oct. 10 while swimming ends Oct. 17. The league has not budgeted for state tournaments in any sports for the 2020-21 school year.
Winter seasons: Establishing a calendar for winter and spring sports also is expected to be decided at the October meeting. Those calendars had been somewhat in flux when the league had decided to move football and volleyball to a new season from March to May.
