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The Minnesota State High School League recently made a change that brings football and volleyball seasons back to the Panther’s fall schedule. Spring Lake Park High School is now offering a full menu of fall sports for Spring Lake Park High School students. While students are able to practice and compete, the Minnesota State High School League and Minnesota Department of Health are NOT allowing spectators at indoor sporting events and are allowing only limited attendance for outdoor sports.
“As we add volleyball and football back to the season, we will not be able to invite students and the community to attend any of our football or volleyball games, home or away, due to safety guidelines,” says Will Wackman, Director of Activities and Athletics. “There are also NO tailgating or viewing parties allowed on campus. Our first focus is on providing a safe experience for our students and ongoing opportunities to participate.”
Guidelines for watching fall sports
Across fall sports, there have been strict limits to in-person spectators and broad coverage through live streaming. Find streaming information before each event on the sport’s webpage.
Here are parameters for spectators across fall sports:
- Cross Country: All parent and student spectators are asked not to congregate at the finish line and to stay physically distanced from the participants and others along the course.
- Girls Swimming and Diving: Spectator are not permitted. Meets are live streamed on multiple platforms.
- Girls Tennis: Spectators are outside, beyond the playing surface and physically distanced.
- Volleyball: Spectators are not permitted. Matches will be live streamed.
- Varsity Soccer: Outdoor game attendance is limited to 150 total spectators (home).
- Varsity Football: Outdoor game attendance is limited to 125 spectators and tickets will be sold to parents of athletes in advance. No tickets will be sold at the games and no passes will be honored. The first game, on Friday, Oct. 9, will now be the Panthers taking on the Becker Bulldogs at 7 p.m. This game will be live streamed on North Metro 15. See streaming options for this game and others on the Football webpage.
“As disappointing as all of this is for those of us who enjoy watching high school sports, it is equally exciting for our student athletes to be able to play their sports,” says Will. “After six months of this pandemic, all our fall student athletes have a chance to play the sports they love and trained for over the summer. We are excited for all of them to have this opportunity.”
Coaches, school leaders and the Minnesota State High School League, ask for patience and understanding as schools work to comply with state guidelines and ensure the safety of the community.
“We’re asking everyone to please help us get our fall sports teams to the end of their seasons without disruption,” says Will. “Everyone can help by wearing your masks, staying physically distanced and not being present on campus during any remaining games and matches.”
Go Panthers!