What Tennessee high school coaches are permitted to do with teams during coronavirus pandemic

Tom Kreager
Nashville Tennessean

While high schools are shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, TSSAA rules remain in effect. 

That puts a limit on what coaches can do with their athletes in what has become a new virtual world with programs like Zoom, Google Hangouts and Skype replacing what once were classrooms in schools and meeting rooms in field houses.

TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said Tennessee high school coaches are permitted to check in with their teams on a regular basis while students are homebound. Gov. Bill Lee has enacted a stay at home executive order effective until April 14, and school is out until at least April 27.

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Being out of school, though, doesn't allow all coaches to give instruction.

Childress said that because spring sports are in season, those coaches are allowed to have instruction, albeit virtual. The boys and girls basketball teams still competing in the suspended TSSAA basketball state tournaments also can have instruction through online programs.

The TSSAA has suspended both basketball tournaments and all spring sports during the pandemic. 

"You have to realize where we are. We're in spring season," Childress said. "Spring sport coaches can coach their kids. They can go on Zoom, or do whatever and instruct their kids.

"They can coach their kids on hitting or whatever they want to. But if you aren't in spring, the only thing you can do is weights and conditioning."

The TSSAA has worked out a plan for sports if they can resume on April 27. Basketball teams competing in the state tournament would have three weeks of practice before competing. Spring postseason would start the next week, allowing three to four weeks of regular-season play.

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Childress acknowledged the chances that basketball and spring sports are held this year "grow dimmer every day."

Childress said if Lee cancels school for the year he didn't see an option to hold the basketball tournaments or spring sports.

"I think the thing that would end our chances would be if they closed schools because we're an extension of the schools," Childress said. "If he is saying no school, then that means no activities, and we are going to follow that."

Some coaches have used virtual platforms to go over weights and conditioning exercises with their athletes, which is permitted.

"They can be given, but they can't be required," Childress said. "It's got to be open to everyone. That's basically it."

Childress said football coaches could decide to use virtual platforms to hold spring practice if they don't think there will be a return to school.

"We are going to have a virtual spring practice if we can't go," Coffee County football coach Doug Greene said. "We will be able to install and basically do our pre-practice meetings like we could before."

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.