Platte County Pirates varsity football game set Friday
On Monday, members of the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference, representing 27 schools in the Kansas City, Missouri area, voted unanimously to continue with all fall activities that are offered in the GKCSC.
Platte County R-3 and the Park Hill School District are two of the 27 members of the conference.
PCR-3’s first competitions begin on Friday, Aug. 28, including the Pirates’ first home varsity football game.
“We are finalizing our attendance limitations and will follow up with communication outlining guidelines for all events this week,” said Dr. Mike Reik in an email to patrons late Monday afternoon.
Fall activities include the following sports governed by the conference: boys and girls cross country, football, girls golf, boys soccer, softball, boys swimming and diving, girls tennis, and volleyball.
All member schools cited the importance of health and safety guidelines while participating in upcoming league practices and contests. Individual schools and districts will be sharing with their communities ways in which they will be providing safe and healthy environments for students, staff, and spectators at all future fall events.
“I am pleased with the outcome of the conference decision, as I feel strongly that the responsible oversight of our member schools will give our student athletes the best opportunity for safe competition,” Alan Markley, president of GKC Suburban Conference’s Executive Directors, shared.
“Our member schools have worked hard to implement health and safety protocols to keep our students, staff, and fans safe during practices and competitions. From cleaning equipment to precautions associated with safe hydration, to transporting students to and from contests, our schools are considering all factors to safely navigate this important part of our student experience.,” Markley said.
In a news release, conference officials said: “The Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference understands the important role that extracurricular activities provide for our students across the metro. It is the goal of the conference to allow our students to have these opportunities, while also understanding that we continue to be in the midst of a pandemic. As our school communities continue to emphasize, this remains an extremely fluid situation and one that has the ability to change over the course of the coming days and weeks. We are committed to keeping our conference schools updated as we navigate this unique time.”
Conference officials said roster and attendance limitations will be enforced and will be based on health department gathering restrictions from the four-county region along with physical distancing requirements based on the host venue. Specific spectator guidance will be shared by Suburban Conference districts with their communities.