Tryouts set to take place Saturday at local high schools

For months parents and athletes have been eagerly awaiting a chance to compete again at the high school level in Nevada.

No, that day isn’t here just yet, but the first step toward kicking off a potential 2021 sports slate is upon Northern Nevada.

Saturday, Jan. 2 local high schools are permitted to conduct tryouts for winter sports, with a couple of key exceptions.

The NIAA has confirmed it is still in a “pause” on the upcoming sports seasons as it awaits word from Gov. Steve Sisolak on loosening pandemic restrictions.

However, with the current pause and under Directive 034, high schools are permitted to conduct tryouts without contact.

Essentially, coaches will be required to host individual skill drills to determine talent and the team selection process from there.

Tryouts don’t mean that the winter sports season will start competition Jan. 9 as originally scheduled. In fact, the beginning of the winter sports competition and non-individualized workouts still depend on future decisions from the governor’s office.

“We hope to begin basketball/wrestling as soon as possible,” NIAA assistant director Donnie Nelson said Monday in an e-mail to the Nevada Appeal. “Skiing is starting with practice as scheduled (Saturday, Jan. 2) for those schools/districts that are permitting. The first race for the Tahoe Basin Ski League is scheduled for Jan. 27 (and the Northern Region is scheduled to race first on Jan. 21). The winter season will end Feb. 20 regardless of what we will or will not be able to conduct.”