Earlier this month, athletic and activities directors met to come up with a set of recommendations and guidelines for the 2020 fall sports season within the Four Rivers Conference (FRC).

Recommendations from the FRC are outlined below;

• Masks are highly recommended for all athletes while they are not actively involved in a strenuous physical activity.

• Spectators are asked to sit in family/household clusters and keep six feet distance from any other groups.

• The wearing of masks by spectators is highly recommended, especially in times when physical distancing of six feet is not possible.

• Spectators are asked not to attend events if they have a new or worsening cough, new of worsening sore throat, new or worsening loss of taste and/or smell, shortness of breath/trouble breathing, vomiting or diarrhea and a fever of greater than 100.4 degrees.

Guidelines were also set for each fall sports in regards to stadium and/or gym capacity.

In volleyball:

• Gym capacity will be limited to 50 percent.

• Visitor seating will be limited to 75 vouchers to be distributed to players prior to games by the visiting coach.

• Remainder of seating up to 50 percent capacity will be reserved for the home fans.

In football/boys soccer:

• Stadium capacity will be limited to 50 percent.

• Visitor seating will be limited to 250 vouchers to be distributed to players prior to games by the visiting coach.

• Remainder of seating up to 50 percent capacity will be reserved for the home fans.

In middle school girl’s basketball:

• Gym capacity will be limited to 50 percent.

• Visitor seating will be limited to 50 vouchers to be distributed to players prior to the games by the visiting coach.

• Remainder of seating up to 50 percent capacity will be reserved for the home fans.

In softball, cross country or girls golf;

• It is recommended that spectators be limited to immediate family only.

• It is recommended that spectators bring lawn chairs to provide additional seating and allow for physical distancing.

The capacity of each venue in the FRC is to be determined by each local school district and city fire codes.

Vouchers reserve your ability to purchase a ticket to enter the event.

During Monday’s August Gasconade County R-2 Board of Education meeting, the district approved the following guidelines for home events for fall sports.

Volleyball:

• Masks are highly recommended, but not required.

• R-2 officials ask that spectators sit in family groups and keep six feet of distance from all other groups.

• Gates will open at 4:15 p.m., with the freshmen and junior varsity matches beginning simultaneously at 5 p.m.

• The bleachers will be open on the top balconies only which will limit our capacity to 600.

• Handicap seating will be marked and provided on the bottom row of the bleachers on the floor level.

• Varsity players will sit on the bottom row of the bleachers on the floor level during the 9/JV games (played simultaneously).

• It is highly encouraged that freshman and junior varsity players and parents exit the facility following their games.

• A total of 75 vouchers will be provided to our opponents for their athletes’ families and spectators.

• OHS volleyball players will be provided the opportunity to reserve five vouchers for family/spectators.

In addition, coaches must be notified of how many of the five vouchers are needed by the Friday prior to our home games.

Unused vouchers will be added onto the number of general admission allowance.

• The gym will be open to 390 general admission spectators that do not either have a visitors or home player voucher.

• Anyone leaving the stadium or gym must have their hand stamped for re-entry. Failure to do so will result in you not being able to return to the game.

• Concessions will be available in the commons area.

If there’s a game where a larger than average crowd is expected, the freshman game will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by the JV and varsity matches. All bleachers will be open to allow for a larger number of general admission spectators.

Football:

• Masks are highly recommended by not required.

• Spectators are asked to sit in family groups and keep six feet of distance from all other groups.

• There will be no tail-greating before games this year.

• Gates will open at 6 p.m., with kickoff at 7 p.m.

• All elementary and middle school students must be accompanied by an adult. If they are left unattended, parents will be contacted to pick their child(ren) up.

• The capacity of the football stadium will be limited to 1,250 spectators.

• A total of 250 vouchers will be provided to our opponents for their athletes’ parents and spectators.

• Each football player and cheerleader will be given the opportunity to reserve five vouchers per student for family/spectators.

Athletes must notify their coach by Wednesday of game week how many vouchers are needed. Any unused vouchers will be added onto the number of general admission allowance.

• Band members will be able to reserve five band performance vouchers which will allow them admittance free of charge to watch the halftime performance only.

Band students will not sit in the bleachers and will only perform at halftime. In addition, band parents wanting to watch the entire game can pay general admission or use a voucher provided by a football player of cheerleader.

• The football stadium will be open to 750 general admission spectators that do not have a visitors, home player or band performance voucher.

• Bleacher space that is typically reserved for the band and middle school students will be open and available for use.

• Anyone leaving the stadium must have their hand stamped for re-entry. Failure to do so will result in you not being able to return to the game.

MS Girls Basketball:

• Masks are highly recommended but not required.

• Spectators are asked to sit in family groups and keep six feet of distance from all other groups.

• Gates will open at 5 p.m., with the seventh-grade game beginning at 5:30 p.m.

• It is highly encouraged that seventh-grade players and parents exit the facility following their game.

• A total of 50 vouchers will be provided to our opponents for their athletes’ families and spectators.

• OMS basketball players will be provided the opportunity to reserve five vouchers each for family/spectators.

Coaches must be notified of how many of the five vouchers are needed by the Friday prior to our home games. Unused vouchers will be added onto the number of general admission allowance.

• The gym will be open to 200 general admission spectators that do not have either a visitors or home player voucher.

• Anyone leaving the gym must have their hand stamped for re-entry. Failure to do so will result in you not being able to return to the game.

Softball and Cross Country:

• Masks are highly recommended by not required.

• Spectators are asked to sit in family groups and keep six feet of distance from all other groups.

• There will be no gate taken at these events.

• R-2 officials highly encourage spectators to be limited to immediate family.

• Spectators area also encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and sit on the hill or along the fence down the baselines.

• Concessions (softball only) and restrooms will be available at the football field.

• It is also asked that spectators refrain from intermingling with athletes.

• R-2 officials are also asking that middle school runners and their families exit the meet following their races.

Officials also noted that a voucher does not provide you entrance to the game, but reserves your position as one of the limited number of spectators at an event. Anyone holding a voucher will be required to pay as you enter the event.

While some of these may be an inconvenience, R-2 officials want to do everything possible to give student-athletes the best chance to complete their seasons.