Winter sports tryouts, practices begin this week for CCHS, OACP

Tryouts for the high school winter sports season begin this week with the hope that basketball and wrestling will be removed from the “no-play” list when the statewide pause ends on Friday. 
Kevin Wickware will conduct Greenwave girls basketball tryouts for varsity, junior varsity and freshman levels on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the high school’s main gym. Wickware, who took over for Anne Smith last season, saw the Lady Wave finish in the middle of the league but still qualified for the postseason despite losing to Lowry in the first round. 
The two-time defending state champion Fallon boys basketball team will have tryouts on Wednesday for all three levels at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the high school’s main gym. Chelle Dalager, in her third season, led Fallon to its second-straight title last winter when it defeated Elko at Lawlor Events Center. 
The wrestling program will not have tryouts but workouts began on Monday and run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the high school’s wrestling room in the new gym facing the football field.
For Oasis Academy, which fields boys and girls basketball teams, practices started this week. 
Conducting tryouts or practices, though, does not mean a season will still happen. Under the current directive, basketball and wrestling are not allowed. On Jan. 5, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, after meeting with the state last month to present its case for having a full winter season, was notified that basketball and wrestling could have a season as early as next week as the statewide pause ends on Friday. 
“That information indicated that the earliest a potential lifting of the prohibition on unmodified practice or competition for full/close-contact sports would be considered would be in conjunction with review of the current Statewide Pause,” the NIAA said in a statement last week. “As you are aware, per Emergency Directive 034, full/close-contact sports include the NIAA sports of basketball, wrestling, and football. The current Statewide Pause is in effect until at least January 15 and could be extended based on the situation with the pandemic. While the prohibition on full/close-contact sports is not linked to the Statewide Pause, assurance was given that a review of the prohibition would be included among the many issues considered in reviewing the pandemic situation in conjunction with consideration of ending or continuing the Pause. It is noted that an end to or revision of mitigation efforts related to the Pause does not necessarily mean a lifting of the Directive 034 prohibitions on full/close-contact sports.”
The NIAA said that if these high-contact sports are allowed, it will adjust the competition schedules accordingly. Games under the modified six-week season were scheduled to begin this weekend but the start date would be pushed back to allow for schools to conduct the required number of practices. 
Prior to tryouts and official practices, all student-athletes must complete the sport registration packet and be cleared by the school’s athletic department prior to attending practices or tryouts. The registration packet is online at www.registermyathlete.com.
Instructions to complete the packet are located on the Churchill County School District website at www.churchillcsd.com, and can be found at the Churchill County High School page and clicking on the Athletics tab and then the Register My Athlete file. Instructions for Oasis Academy are online at oasisacademyfallon.us by clicking on the Extracurricular tab and then Extracurriculars Checklist. 
All student-athletes must have a completed sports physical prior to practices and tryouts. All freshmen must have a sport physical and all juniors must have a new or updated sport physical. All new or first-time student-athletes must also have a new physical. 
For questions on completing the registration packet or practices, CCHS families can contact either Sandra Trotter, CCHS Athletic Secretary, at trotters@churchillcsd.com or-423-2821, ext. 4101, or Brad Daum, CCHS Athletic Director, at daumb@churchillcsd.com or 423-2181, ext. 4110. Oasis Academy can be reached at 423-5437.