SIOUX FALLS – There will be organized basketball in South Dakota this weekend for the first time since the pandemic. 49 boys travel teams and 28 girls teams from fifth- through 11th-grade will compete Saturday and Sunday at the Sanford Pentagon Invitational.
Sanford Sports President Steve Young told the Mitchell Republic, “Knowing that we have to respect this virus and there’s inherent risk in everything we do, we just wanted to make sure we have the right staff and mix of spacing to ensure that when teams come here, they feel safe. Ultimately, we have to create an environment where kids feel safe to come out and compete and get back in shape. We’re providing them an opportunity to get athletically moving.”
There will be strict guidelines to be followed. Only 32 members of each team will be permitted, including 10 players, two parents per player and two coaches. They must enter and exit with the team. No non-athletes under 12 will be allowed in the Sanford Pentagon. When a team plays its last game, players, parents and coaches from that team must leave the arena. Anyone entering will have their temperature taken and those having a reading of at least 100 degrees will not be allowed to enter. Six of the nine courts will be used. Fans will not be allowed to sit in the bleachers, but instead can sit in bag chairs six feet apart around the court.
-Information from mitchellrepublic.com was used in this story-
