A little more than two weeks after Tucson Youth Football and Spirit Federation leadership made the decision to go ahead with a 2020 season, it was forced to pull the plug Tuesday in response to new state-issued guidelines to help cap the growing number of coronavirus cases in the state.
And while the league wonβt be going ahead this fall, several of its associations are working hard to come up with a backup plan that will allow players and cheerleaders some opportunity to compete.
TYFSF associations were set to begin practice on Aug. 10 β about three weeks later than originally planned β with the eight-game season set to start Sept. 5.
Commissioner Julius Holt made the decision June 12 to go ahead with the season, after months of uncertainty, with the majority of the leagueβs 16 associations ready to participate. When he spoke to the Star, Holt cautioned that the season would proceed as long as it could do so while following state and local guidelines.
Four days after Holtβs announcement, dozens of Marana Broncos football players and cheerleaders started voluntary summer workouts on the fields of Crossroads Park, with wellness checks, social distancing and multiple other safety protocols in place.
On Monday, hours before the Broncos workout was set to begin, Governor Doug Ducey announced the closure of bars, gyms and swimming pools, as well as capping public gatherings at 50, effective at 8 p.m. and running through July 27. Ducey issued a separate order delaying the start of in-person classes for K-12 schools several weeks until at least Aug. 17.
On Tuesday and as a result of Duceyβs mandate, Broncos leadership canceled their final summer workout of the season. A few hours later, TYFSF posted a letter to its Facebook page, dated the day before and announcing the cancelation of the season.
βWe have been grappling with this decision for the past four months and have received feedback from community leaders and parents, with voices supporting both for and against the cancellation of our season,β the post said, adding that coronavirus has changed the course of the season due to βuncertainties and lack of ability to guarantee the safety of student athletes, coaches, parents, and volunteers.β
The post said that TYFSF leadership, along with Ducey, is concerned with the recent spike in coronavirus cases, which has been projected to worsen in the upcoming months.
In light of Duceyβs decision to push the start date of school and high school football back several weeks, TYFSFβs executive board agreed that canceling the season was a necessity.
βThere are many things that factored into our decision, but through this process, the health and safety of our players, volunteers, and families have remained our top priority,β the post said, directing families to TYFSFβs website and Facebook page for updates about the league and the 2021 season.
Association presidents will be meeting with their respective boards to decide how to issue refunds for team and league fees.
Hours after the cancellation, the Broncos announced on their Facebook page that they were working diligently with several other organizations to come up with a contingency plan for the season.
βMore importantly, as our organization takes a moment to deliberate and process all scenarios of our next steps, we ask that you bear with us in the coming weeks as we figure things out,β the post said, adding that it would update parents with information and plans as they become available. βWe understand these are trying times and appreciate your continued support.β
The Oro Valley Dolphins are among the associations still fighting for a season, also taking to Facebook to ask players and their families to give them some time to figure plans out.
