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Following the revised calendar released by the state athletic association, Stanly County Schools has made a decision in terms of offseason workouts for student-athletes.

With the first week of school starting Monday designated a dead period by the NCHSAA, SCS has decided to extend the dead period for an additional week, according to SCS assistant athletic director Sean Whitley.

Workouts for all sports, which had started last week as per the Phase 2 guidelines set by the NCHSAA, will now resume Aug. 31. Scheduling of games has also been halted by the state association.

Association Commissioner Que Tucker issued a statement Wednesday along with the revised calendar moving the traditional fall sports to later in the academic year.

“The Board of Directors approved a framework we believe maximizes the opportunities for students in our membership to participate in athletics at some point during this school year, regardless of what plan a school and/or school system operates,” the statement read.

“We recognize that this is a lot of information to digest and drastically different from the way the sport calendar has been aligned for years in North Carolina. However, as we mentioned many weeks ago, ‘We will play again.’ In that mantra we believe, and it is in that spirit that we present this calendar. It is the belief of the Board of Directors and our staff that this calendar provides us the greatest chance of providing interscholastic athletic opportunities to the students of the NCHSAA for the 2020-2021 academic year. We believe that this is the best path forward to a safe return to the field.”

Football has been moved to open its regular season Feb. 26, 2021 with men’s soccer moving to January. Volleyball and cross-country have been delayed until Nov. 16, with men’s soccer moving to Jan. 25. Women’s golf, normally a fall sport, will play at the same time as the men starting March 1.

“We feel it is critically important to provide opportunities for North Carolina student athletes to participate, and compete, in education-based athletics,” said Dr. Josh Bloom, on behalf of the NCHSAA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, in the statement. “While there are risks with resuming NCHSAA sanctioned athletics, it has also become very clear that there are significant negative consequences with not providing this option to student athletes. Accordingly, this is an exercise in balance – and we are committed to an appropriate balance of both safety and participation.”