High school sports fan policies leave some on the outside looking in

The word came down Wednesday, just one day before the Minneapolis Washburn girls' and boys' soccer teams were scheduled to host season-opening games against Eden Prairie: No spectators were going to be allowed into Washburn's stadium.

The decision, made by Minneapolis Public Schools and announced by the district's athletic department, caught parents and fans by surprise.

"I think I speak for a lot of the parents when I say we were pretty upset," said Darren Selberg, who has two daughters in the soccer program, the elder a senior captain.

While limiting fans has become commonplace as sports have resumed amid the pandemic, high school fall sports have policies even more restrictive at some schools and conferences as they seek to be extra safety-conscious.

The Washburn teams had been practicing since Aug. 17, following guidelines and restrictions put in place by the Minnesota State High School League. Parents believed that adhering to those policies would carry over to attendance at games, including capping the total number of attendees at 250 or 25% of capacity, whichever was less.

Already unable to attend practice because of social distancing restrictions, Washburn parents were eagerly anticipating the chance to watch their children play after nearly 10 months without competition. Instead, they were blindsided.

"The biggest issue was the lack of communication," Selberg said. "We'd been waiting for weeks to see them play and we were told [the day before the game]. There was nothing really written, not a whole lot of information, no rationale. Just 'Nope, we're not going to allow it.' "

"The decision was vetted through our senior leadership," Fisher said. "I can understand parents' frustration that the decision came when it did, but that's essentially how long it took to make sure all the departments had signed off."

Minneapolis Public Schools are starting the school year using only distance learning, Fisher said, and the no-spectator policy is consistent with that approach. "Safety for all students and mitigating risk is at the root of every decision we make," he said. "Sometimes our lens needs to be a little wider than that of the parents."

When word of the decision spread, Selberg said parents got creative, planning on setting up an area to watch the girls' game from outside fences surrounding the Washburn field. But the game, along with the boys' game to follow, was subsequently moved to Eden Prairie, where fans were allowed, when a citywide curfew was imposed in Minneapolis after Wednesday's civil unrest.

The differences by schools highlights the variances in attendance policies as fall sports resume.

When the MSHSL issued its COVID-related guidelines for spectators and fans, Executive Director Erich Martens emphasized that schools could go beyond league guidelines if they saw fit. While many schools chose to adhere to the league's rules, a growing number have leaned into a safety-first stance and tightened restrictions on spectators.

"Last Friday we were the only school on our girls' soccer schedule with no fans," Blake AD Nick Rathmann said in a text message. "By this past Tuesday, our entire schedule had gone to no visiting fans, at least. That shows how fast things have changed."

As schools try to determine a protocol that works best for them, it's led to a variety of policies.

At DeLaSalle, only home fans, and a limit of four per player, are allowed at home soccer games. The Tri-Metro Conference is admitting only home fans for soccer games. Some conferences, like the Northwest Suburban, are requiring fans wishing to attend a soccer game have their name on an preapproved list to be able to purchase a ticket.

Swimming, the only indoor fall sport being offered, is allowing no fans. In cross-country, some schools are seeking to adhere to a 250-person limit but others are going further. The Lake Conference announced no fans would be permitted to attend conference meets.

While some may find the lack of consistency frustrating, the consensus seems to be that having a season is worth enduring a few restrictions.