Flu disrupts schools, high school sports

With schools closing across the country it didn't take long for the New Mexico Activities Association and area schools in Arizona to act quickly in hopes of preventing the H1N1 virus from spreading.

A couple of area schools in Arizona cancelled all extracurricular activity trips and in New Mexico all athletics were suspended.

The Window Rock Unified School District suspended all travel last week as concerns over the swine flu peaked. At that time, U.S. health officials had advised schools to shut down completely for about two weeks if one student contracted the virus.

As a result, a Window Rock district task force called for an end to all travel, including field trips, away sports games and teacher training events.

On April 30 the district had to call a bus heading to Albuquerque with students on a field trip and to tell it to return home. Travel to the Arizona Special Olympics Summer Games in Mesa, Ariz., held April 30 to May 2, was also cancelled.

"It's a precautionary measure," said Tom Jackson, Window Rock school district superintendent. "We don't have any cases of the swine flu here now and we don't want to be responsible for bringing it in."

With only four weeks of school left, Jackson said there was concern that a weeklong closure could affect graduation.

However, over last weekend, concerns from parents reached a fever pitch and on Monday, the Window Rock district school board met in an emergency meeting and revoked the ban on travel.

The board advised parents to keep tabs on the news and use their own judgment concerning out-of-district travel.

"The conditions have kind of changed since we've implemented the travel ban," Jackson said on Tuesday.

Indeed, on Tuesday U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the H1N1 virus was turning out to be milder than originally feared.

The virus, Sebelius said, now does not seem any more contagious or more deadly as the seasonal flu, according to Associated Press reports.

With the state of New Mexico's first two probable H1N1 cases discovered Sunday, the NMAA board of directors suspended all athletic and activity programs for all member schools, according to a press release.

The release stated that the New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Public Education announced the closing of a handful of  NMAA schools  from May 4 to May 10 in southern New Mexico because of probable H1N1 cases. Two were later confirmed to be definite H1N1 cases.

The two cases were that of a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old student in Socorro County in Socorro, N.M, according to Associated Press reports.

On Monday, NMAA sent out another press release stating that its board of directors suspended all athletic and activity programs for a minimum of seven days out of fairness for those school who could not practice or play regularly because their schools where closed.

Schools were told that no school-organized practices were to be held outside of the school day. If practices were held, fines and suspensions for coaches would be the consequence.

In the Monday release, Robert Zayas, NMAA director of communications, announced an afternoon webcast would be held where officials met to address any concerns and to answer questions.

Zayas said that the greatest concern was that officials who made the decision to close schools and suspend athletic and activity programs may have taken it too far, and that schools shouldn't be closed for heath reasons.

"The fact that it was done (closed) for that reason and there was competitive equity," Zayas said.

He said NMAA has been in constant communication with the Public Education Department and New Mexico Department of Health and an emergency meeting was to be held early Wednesday morning.

With the two confirmed cases treated and talk about it being a "seasonal flu," NMAA could lift the suspension, he added.

Though NMAA officials have not cancelled any upcoming district or state championship games or meets, a tentative schedule was released. The schedule shows some new and a few original dates for  district and state championships for spring sports.

Most high school athletics in New Mexico are in their district championship playoffs.

Shortly after the Wednesday morning meeting, the NMAA unanimously voted to approve practice as normal at the beginning of the meeting, according to a NMAA press release.

The releases states that the board of directors decided on the emergency meeting after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Public Education Department announced that there was no need for school closures due to health reasons in New Mexico.

According to the release, the board also voted and approved a revised schedule for the upcoming state championships for spring sports.

The two-and-a-half-day suspension only effected sports practices.

But some athletic programs in Arizona weren't as lucky.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association did not suspend the regional or state tournaments the past week, instead leaving the decision up to the individual school districts.

Window Rock's Jackson said any classes that resubmit for field trips that were cancelled will be approved.

Still, when the district had cancelled travel that meant the Window Rock High softball and baseball teams were not allowed to participate in the 3A North Region tournament in Winslow on May 1 and 2.

This will have little effect on either of the teams, which have ranked high enough during the season that both are guaranteed slots in the 3A state tournament scheduled to begin on Friday.

"I don't think the travel ban affected the sports program that bad," said Paul Reynolds, the district's athletic director. "As far as competing in the state tournament, it shouldn't have affected us at all."

However, the move did affect Monument Valley High in the Kayenta Unified School District. The school's softball team placed third in last week's regional tournament after Window Rock forfeited, and claimed a spot in the state competition.

In light of the circumstances and the concerns over the H1N1 virus, the AIA granted a makeup game between Window Rock and Monument Valley that was scheduled for Wednesday. The game's outcome will decide if Monument Valley's softball team, which is not ranked as high as the Window Rock team, will make it to the state tournament.

"It's a little disappointing to know that we might not be in the tournament because of a school that had forfeited," said Jacob Holiday, the Kayenta district's athletic director. "It's nothing against our team."

Holiday admitted that Window Rock's forfeiture was an administrative decision.

"It's a very touchy situation," he said.

Overall, the Kayenta district also implemented restrictions on travel, placing on hold student field trips including scheduled visits to Albuquerque and California, said Vangie Bradley-Wilkinson, interim superintendent.

"We are playing it by ear," Bradley-Wilkinson said. "We are taking everything on a case-by-case basis."

The district will allow both the baseball and softball teams to travel to the state tournament, but as long as players follow strict precautions. This includes keeping the trips as short as necessary and keeping anti-bacterial wipes on hand. Students likely will not be allowed in heavily populated areas, like malls, Holiday said.

"We know the swine flu is in the state of Arizona," he said. "We don't want to do anything to hurt the kids, but we also don't want to be idle. We want to make sure life goes on as normal."