KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The MIAA athletic administrators approved a series of Principles to help guide campus decisions about “Return to Competition” as a result of the COVID-19 Global Health Pandemic. The principles were recommended by the Association’s COVID-19 Task Force.
The MIAA’s Guiding Principles focus on the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, and staff in the Association and acknowledges decisions will be made by each campus according to local government restrictions. It also allows the conference office to serve as a resource for member institutions.
"The MIAA's Guiding Principles for Return to Campus, Return to Competition is an important tool for our member institutions as they continue to develop action plans and protocols to welcome students, staff, and visitors back to campus", explained MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. "These important decisions about how each campus will prepare for fall sports will be made at the local level, and the MIAA office will continue to provide important resources to aid these decisions."
The Guiding Principles document notes two important resources for MIAA member athletic departments, the NCAA’s Core Principles and Campus Action Plan considerations “for the Resocialization of Sports” and the U.S. Council on Athletes Health’s intercollegiate athletics focused document titled “Return to Sports Health and Safety Framework”.
“The MIAA COVID-19 Task Force has been working diligently these last several months to help guide our member institutions through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year. The task force has now shifted its focus to help guide our member institutions transitioning to the 2020-2021 year,” stated Lori Hopkins, chairperson of the Association’s COVID-19 Task Force and IRC. We are discussing and recommending guidelines to help schools put the health and safety of our student-athletes first as we begin to prepare for returning to campus and future competitions.”
"Campus leadership, community health partnerships, and industry-specific athletic health resources, like the information being shared with the MIAA from the US Council for Athletes' Health, will be the keys to our success in playing sports this fall," added Racy.
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