Athletes sidelined — again — until at least July 6

A Coeur d’Alene High student-athlete tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the Coeur d’Alene School District to suspend all district or school-sponsored sports activities until at least July 6.

Other district athletes were also getting tested for the coronavirus, school district spokesperson Scott Maben said.

The athlete who tested positive plays football and basketball, he said.

“We informed the families of the students that this individual had been around,” Maben said. “Panhandle Health District handles the contact tracing and provides guidance on who should get tested and when.”

School officials, including athletic directors Jim Winger of Lake City High and Mike Randles of Coeur d’Alene High, met to discuss the positive test and the overall rise in positive tests in Kootenai County.

“Considering the surge, and everything around that, I thought it was the right thing to do,” Winger said of the decision to suspend activities. “It’s summer, we have Fourth of July coming, let’s see where we’re at in a week or so after this, and re-evaluate, and re-sanitize everything — even though we’re doing that every day. I think it’s the smart thing to do.”

Coeur d’Alene School District athletes were not tested for the coronavirus prior to participating in the summer activities, which include practices, camps and weight training. Temperature checks have not been administered, officials said.

Since many athletes play multiple sports, and mix with athletes from other sports in the weight room, Winger said it was better to suspend activities in all sports.

“It’s the summertime, and we don’t need to be in any hurry here,” he said. “I just think we need to take a deep breath and take a good look at things. Plus, camps were also supposed to start up. And if the governor had OK’d us going out of Stage Four, we were planning to play other teams, but he kept us in Stage Four, so that wasn’t going to happen anyway.”

The spring high school sports season in Idaho was suspended in mid-March, then canceled for good in mid-April.

Preseason practice for fall sports is scheduled to begin Aug. 10 — if there even is a fall sports season.

“I just hope that things clear up a little bit, and we can get back in the fall,” said Winger, a former athlete at Coeur d’Alene High. “These high school kids, man, they only get one shot at it. You don’t get re-dos. You work your whole life to get to your high school years ... after all those years of work, and you don’t get a chance to compete, or practice? That’s a tough one.”