HOUSTON - The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools is joining the Southwest Preparatory Conference and pushing back the start of the fall sports for the 2020-2021 season.
During a webinar on Friday, TAPPS announced that no scrimmages, games, contests or tournaments can be held between August 3 and September 7. Originally, the TAPPS calendar had practice for football, volleyball and fall soccer set for August 3; first volleyball games for August 10 and football for August 27.
Those start dates are now off the table.
Football will start strength and conditioning on September 8. The following week on September 15 football teams can start working in full pads and will continue that into the week of September 21. During the week of September 21, TAPPS football programs can hold one scrimmage. The first week of games will not be until September 28.
"The schedule has been changed but I am thrilled to soon be able to welcome athletes back on campus," Second Baptist School Director of Athletics Mike Walker wrote on Twitter. "And continue executing the mission of the Second Baptist School."
TAPPS stated any games on the schedule prior to September 28 will not be played. If there are district contests prior to that date, they will have to be rescheduled.
Over at Fort Bend Christian Academy, Athletic Director Kelly Carroll said football will not have to worry about rescheduling or losing any district games. Their district play is set to open October 1, but that is set to be a bye week for FBCA. Carroll said they will be looking to fill that week with a non-district game.
For volleyball, September 8 will be strength and conditioning, practice and scrimmages can be held starting September 14 with games beginning the week of September 21.
FBCA volleyball did have three district volleyball games scheduled prior to the 21st. Carroll told VYPE that the district will be meeting next week to discuss the plan for volleyball. Options on the table include, trying to play all the district games and potentially playing three games (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) per week or each team playing one round of district games, fill in the rest with non-district games, and then playing a district tournament to determine the playoff teams.
"I appreciate and understand the difficulties that TAPPS is dealing with in a state our size," Carroll said. "We are in unprecedented times. Was there going to be an ideal, perfect solution - it doesn't exist. For us, we are going to take what TAPPS has given us, we are going to roll with the punches and provide the best opportunity for our kids.
"We are happy they are giving us the opportunity to start on the eighth and that we have something on paper that we can show our parents."
Winter sports dates have also been pushed back. Originally, October 19 was the first day of practice, October 26 was first day of scrimmages and November 2 was first day of games. Those dates have been shifted to November 2 (first day of practice), November 9 (first day of scrimmages) and November 12 (first day of games).
VYPE will continue to update this story as we continue to get more information.
