SPOKANE, Wash. — After a year of closures and cancellations, parents and athletes have reason be excited this week. On Thursday, high school and youth sports in Washington state can allow spectators in the stands at 25-percent capacity. That is a week earlier than when the state moves into Phase 3 on March 22.
The Greater Spokane League said each school in its league will communicate to families how they can register or sign up to get into the stands.
GSL Director Ken Van Sickle said some schools may use a ticket system or online pre-registration. But the capacity in the stands will vary from stadium to stadium.
For example, at 25 percent capacity, Gonzaga Prep's stadium can hold 825 people. But Cheney High School can only hold 198.
"Athletic Directors are working together to maximize that 25% to get as many family members as we can in the stands cheering on their kids and ensuring those special moments that we all want them to have," Van Sickle said.
When asked how it would be handled when spectators show up to the games without pre-registering or tickets in hand, Van Sickle said the league asks parents to connect with their school athletic director ahead of time.
"We're hoping that the communication does go out and I encourage parents, if they haven't heard from their athletic director or their coach, to reach out to them to get that information," Van Sickle said.
He adds, across the league, masks and social distancing will be required. Depending on the school stadium, rows or seats may be marked off for social distancing.
For the most part, each school will offer equal admittance into the stands for the home and visiting team. But there may be situations where the home team is allotted a 60/40 capacity in the stands to accommodate their band.
"We want to be fair to both the home and the visiting team," Van Sickle said. "Each AD is going to work that out between the two schools and determine how or what that's going to look like."
Aimee Brasch is a Gonzaga Prep parent of a senior pep band member and sophomore football player. So far this season, her family has watched her two sons perform or play from the fence line. She is looking forward to cheering them on from the stands on Friday.
"I'm really looking forward to being able to see my senior's his face light up when he plays with them," Brasch said. "And just to be able to see my kid, I can't even find his number from outside the chain link fence when he's playing football. So I'm looking forward to being able to actually see him play."