Heading into the July 4th holiday, many Texas high school athletes will enjoy having next week off from organized summer workouts.
Many schools usually schedule a week off in early July after the holiday on most years, but this year it will be for a different reason than just concerning burnout before practices start.
The University Interscholastic League posted on its social media pages it is recommending, but not mandating, schools consider closing summer workouts, rehearsals, practices and instruction between July 3-12.
“For schools in areas experiencing community spread of COVID-19, this temporary suspension will reduce the risk of exposure and provide an opportunity to review current plans and re-evaluate local context in order to make informed decisions moving forward.”
While Montague County currently has less than 10 active cases that would determine more strict laws of social distancing and mask wearing in public, the increase number of cases in the state and reports from some school districts who have had to shut down their summer workouts due to infection is a concerning trend for some if and when falls sports will happen.
With so many questions still to answer and only a month left before the regular start of practices, the expectation is that UIL will hold back making any definitive statement on any specifics until at least the middle of July.
Football and volleyball coaches are starting to meet and plan practices with a regular early August date in mind, but many realize they will need to be flexible incase circumstances change.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.