A Buffer week, also referred to as “dead” week, is the first week of school this year. All across Kansas, no high school coaches are allowed to coach. The fall high school season officially starts seven weeks from July 1. This rule was put in place to give athletes participating in fall sports a break from coaches right before tryouts. But from August 12-16, the players are the coaches.
“If you’re an athlete trying to prepare, it’s not like you have to take a week off of being athletic”, said East Athletic Director Kelly Kurle. “Everybody is starting fresh, everybody is starting over” said Kurle.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association, otherwise known as KSHSAA, does this so that when tryouts begin next monday, athletes will have a clean slate. If an athlete wants to prepare, they are welcome to do so.
“You can still go on a run, you can still do whatever you want to do,” Kurle said. “You’re just not going to have that coach interaction this week.”
KSHSAA is in charge of deciding when a buffer week is. For sports to start their season, there must be a gap consisting of a certain number of weeks in which sports are not sponsered through East. The KSHSAA calendar is advanced- and has a five year projection of the week when sports will begin again.
Winter sports also have a buffer week. That week is the second week in November, which is the 11-15. However, a buffer week is slightly different. If the sport takes place during the fall season, then it doesn’t apply.
“If you made football playoffs, even though it’s dead week, you’re still going to have playoffs”, said Kurle.
Starting monday, coaches will return, and begin preparing for the upcoming season.
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