How a school shutdown would affect Kansas high school athletics

Northwest senior offensive lineman Joey Gilbertson and Collegiate senior linebacker Cooper Root, both 2015 All-Metro selections, have similar goals during their summer workouts.

While each has at least one major-college scholarship offer, they have already traveled to camps, they practice with their football teams, and they spend hours in the weight room to get stronger and faster.

But Gilbertson’s summer workouts could change dramatically if the Kansas Supreme Court closes schools if the state legislature fails to fix inequities in school funding by June 30. Gov. Sam Brownback has called a special session to address the issue beginning June 23.

Facilities at Wichita public schools — including weight rooms and gyms, as well as outdoor facilities — would be closed.

City League athletic director J Means said the district has issued a directive that coaches could not work with athletes off school grounds, either.

“Now, if a group of kids says they want to get together at Buffalo Park for a workout, they need to organize it,” Means said.

North football coach Joe Belden worries about his athletes not being able to have somewhere to lift weights or have a coach lead conditioning.

“If you turn them loose for five or six weeks with no real guidance, that’s a concerning situation,” Belden said. “But it is what it is. As long as everybody’s in the same boat, then the playing field’s even.”

Districts have different plans, and private schools are unaffected by the possible shutdown because they do not receive state funding.

Bishop Carroll athletic director Larry Dostert said the Eagles will continue with summer workouts, weights and conditioning.

“I don’t like it that these restrictions are placed on (public schools), but we are anticipating regular fall sports seasons,” Dostert said.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association allows coaches to work with their teams through July 16. After that, they may work with team members in groups of three until July 30. Voluntary weights and conditioning are allowed through Aug. 14.

Fall practices begin Aug. 15.

Gary Musselman, executive director of the KSHSAA, said those rules will not change.

“What our position is, we don’t need to add any more angst to the situation,” Musselman said. “… We felt like the best we can do is keep our piece of the world going, instead of changing the rules or implementing rules based on Scenario A or B.”

As for Collegiate, a private school, athletic director Mitch Fiegel isn’t sure what the plan will be if public schools are shut down — even though the Spartans can do their usual workouts.

“That’s something that I don’t think any of us have even thought about,” he said. “… We’d have to discuss it in terms of equity. Morally and ethically, we’d want to have at least a legitimate conversation about it. I hope for everyone’s sake that it doesn’t happen.”

So does Northwest’s Gilbertson.

“It would affect a lot,” said Gilbertson, who is 6-foot-3, 290 pounds. “We wouldn’t get any stronger as a team, as a group. Some people outside of football don’t even work out on their own. We wouldn’t be as ready as we should be before (playing) Carroll in Week 1.

“Summer workouts have helped me a lot. I think it brought our team closer, and it gets me ready for the big stage on Friday nights.”

Root said summer workouts have been a key to his success, too. He lifts two hours a day and also works on speed and agility.

“I couldn’t imagine, honestly, without the weights and all the speed work and everything I’ve learned at Collegiate in regards to athletics,” Root said. “All of it just helps so much.

“I just hope that’s not a situation that I would have be found in. And I don’t want it for other kids, either.”

Football isn’t the only sport that would be affected. There are summer volleyball and basketball leagues, as well as team workouts.

Then there’s middle-school camps often held in July; they would likely be canceled. Organizations renting public-school facilities would be out of luck.

Many schools tried to prepare for the worst.

Some football team camps were moved to June; coaches usually prefer to have them in the middle of July, closer to the start of practices.

At Andover Central, athletic director Doug Carr’s fliers for middle-school camps noted that everything was tentative due to state funding concerns.

The Goddard school district is in a wait-and-see situation, said Curtis Conrad, Eisenhower’s athletic director. As a result, he’s not sure what will happen to the Eisenhower’s youth soccer camp and the Hutchinson Community College football camp scheduled for Eisenhower in July.

Andover athletic director Brent Riedy said it’s doubtful his district would limit coaches’ connections with athletes for workouts off school grounds.

“The YMCAs will probably be suddenly flooded with people,” Riedy said. “I think that begs the question that we’re lucky we have access to it, while others in western Kansas may be an hour from any gym besides the school gym.”

This story was originally published June 10, 2016 at 12:17 PM with the headline "How a school shutdown would affect Kansas high school athletics."