ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — There’s not the usual energy inside the Resch Center for the state girls high school basketball tournament this year.
Because of the coronavirus, the WIAA made the decision Thursday morning to limit the number of people allowed inside the building to watch the games. Each team was allotted tickets for 88 fans, two supervisors and 22 team personnel.
For one western Wisconsin teacher, it’s an opportunity to encourage the student-athletes that worked all season long for their moment at the Resch Center.
“Everybody matters,” said Kathy Wozney.
She’s a teacher at Arcadia, who played Platteville Thursday afternoon.
“As the girls even stated, if it wasn’t for their fans they probably wouldn’t be here either. Because, you know, fans pick you up and give you support,” she said.
Wozney, along with other students, printed pictures of students and taped them to the seats in the student section.
Wozney hopes when the players look up from the court, those seats won’t seem so empty.
“I think the fans need to be represented,” she said. “We had five fan buses and they had to be turned around. So we stayed last night but I can’t imagine their disappointment.”
Limited tickets is just one of the WIAA’s coronavirus restrictions. Thursday’s games won’t have cheerleaders or pep band members either.
WIAA executive director Dave Anderson says the tournament could have been canceled altogether.
“When we look at a situation like this, what is every possible option?” Anderson asked as he addressed the media. “And so certainly the cancellation was one but it was not one that we felt we would need to go to at this point and time.”
WIAA leaders are looking at several ways to be cautious of the coronavirus, without taking away from the game-day atmosphere.
It’s all so family, teachers, and fans can all be a part of the tournament, safely.
