-
All middle and high school sports are on a nine-day hiatus during the Oklahoma Secondary School Acitivites Association Dead Week. The hiatus begins the week before the fourth of July every year. Courtesy photos
All school sports activities are on hold for middle and high school athletes during the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association’s Dead Week. The annual week of rest will last until July 10, 2022. The Dead Week began on July 2 and it prohibits any contact between coaches and students, as well as use of their school’s athletic facility. Dead Week applies to public, private, and club team sports.
The annual summer nonevent was put into action in 2019 by the OSSAA to give student athletes a muchneeded break in the summer. It will always be from the weekend before the fourth of July to the weekend after. Dead Week was canceled for 2020, but has been active for the last two years.
If a coach violates the rules of Dead Week, then they will be suspended for the first half of their season in the sport that they coach. If a spectator or sponsor tries to contact a coach during this time and the coach responds, the coach will receive that same punishment.
Dead Week has seen mixed reviews from coaches, athletes, and parents. The positive is it gives kids the ability to enjoy the fourth of July and step away from the sports world. The negative is it could interfere greatly with summer sports.
Club sports are primarily affected by this since they usually play during the summer. Despite being only nine days long, a long break can affect a team's chemistry together and hinder the abilities of athletes.
Even though Dead Week could possibly affect a team’s chemistry and momentum, student athletes can use the nine days of rest to do just that, rest and prepare for the upcoming practices.