(Area) The Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union have an upcoming “Family Week” appearing in Iowa’s Unified Activity Federation calendar for the first time in 2020-21. This week will prohibit any coach and/or teacher contact with student-athletes and prohibits any IHSAA or IGHSAU event from occurring.
This non-contact period will run from Sunday, July 25, 2021 through Sunday, August 1, 2021. Those dates have been approved and listed on the Unified Activity Calendar throughout the 2020-21 athletic year, and they coincide with week 3 and week 4 of the NFHS calendar.
“Both the IHSAA and IGHSAU strongly support the introduction of ‘Family Week’ into our schedules,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said.
“This will provide a built-in break for everyone involved in Iowa high school athletics — participants, parents, coaches, officials, and school administrators – and an opportunity to prioritize family, friends, rest, and activities away from sports,” IGHSAU executive director Jean Berger said.
The IHSAA’s 2021 state baseball tournament will be exempt from this year’s non-contact period. Future state baseball tournaments will have updated schedules to allow for the off week before the start of the next athletic year.
There can be no athletic activities within IHSAA and IGHSAU member schools during that week. All high school students, including incoming ninth graders, are covered under the non-contact period. Contact with coaches is not to occur on or off school premises. The use of school facilities is prohibited during the eight-day period.
In summary: No intentional or scheduled contact between any student-athlete and coach from their school at any place, at any time, and for any purpose during the prohibited period.
Iowa’s Unified Activity Federation is comprised of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, the Iowa High School Music Association, and the Iowa High School Speech Association.
KSOM/KS95.7 Sports will dive deeper into the dead week in the coming days with a breakdown from Exira-EHK boys basketball coach Doug Newton and Audubon AD/football coach Sean Birks.
