Loveland Magazine

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Tag: sports 411 Loveland City School District

  • LYBO Wednesday sandlot-esq pick up games: Loveland fields full of kids living America’s pastime

    LYBO Wednesday sandlot-esq pick up games: Loveland fields full of kids living America’s pastime

    Parents sit along the outfield to watch their kids play during a Wednesday night pick-up game at at Phillips Park in Loveland, Ohio.

    Joe Timmerman graduated from Loveland High School in 2019 and will return to his studies in photojournalism at Ohio University this month.

    By Joe Timmerman

    Loveland, Ohio – Walking up to the baseball fields at Phillips Park on Wednesday July 29, the air feels like summer again as the fields are full with kids living in America’s pastime.

    Every Wednesday night since the first week of July, as the sun sets in Loveland, Ohio, kids have been playing baseball together again. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon these unusual times of social distancing, quarantine, and the cancellation of most future gatherings — the Loveland Youth Baseball Organization came up with the idea of pick-up baseball games. 

    With youth sports becoming seemingly more and more competitive as each year goes by, it was refreshing to watch a Sandlot-esq pick up game happening in our own town.

    In conversation with Matt Kapszukiewicz, the president of LYBO, I learned that they had been throwing the idea of pick-up games around for about a year or so, and that Rob Steinman, another LYBO board member, originally came up with the idea. “We decided to launch it because these older kids had no-one else to play against… so we blended them into a t-shirt league once we got a handle on what COVID-19 meant,” Kapszukiewicz said. 

    A warm up pitch is thrown before the last inning of a pick-up game with no score on Wednesday July 29 at Phillips Park in Loveland, Ohio.

    When my dad and I made it to the third base fence line with our baseball gloves in hand to check out the night’s pick up game, there were a couple open spots in the outfield. Tom Sackett, my dad’s friend and the supervisor for the game, told us to run out and join in. Before too long, I overheard a conversation between the right fielder and the infield players. 

    “Yeah, I don’t even know… it doesn’t matter.” 

    “Hey, what’s the score?”

    “Uh, 1-0 maybe”

    “Yeah, I don’t even know… it doesn’t matter.” 

    With youth sports becoming seemingly more and more competitive as each year goes by, it was refreshing to watch this a Sandlot-esq pick up game happening in our own town. 

    “These kids are having a blast out here… just run out there and do whatever you want, play wherever you want,” Sackett said. Sackett is a former LYBO board president and the coach of the Loveland Express, a 16u team that his son plays on, who like most teams this summer, had their season cancelled.

    “These kids are having a blast out here… just run out there and do whatever you want, play wherever you want,” Sackett said.

    About half of the 16 kids that showed up to play are 16 year olds, the rest are 15, and they all go to Loveland High School.

    After talking to a few parents who came to watch the game, I found out that there are usually about twice as many kids that show up to play on Wednesdays, but a player on Loveland’s football team tested positive which resulted in a quarantine for the entire team. 

    We had more fans than the Reds!

    “(These games) are providing an opportunity for the kids to get out and get some exercise, everything else has pretty much been cancelled at this point. Kids, friends, and even the adults had something to do… just sitting there watching a pick-up baseball game — we had more fans than the Reds. (Wednesday nights) have been valuable for building community and offering an opportunity to stay fit,” Kapszukiewicz said. “We (LYBO) didn’t charge anything, we provided umpires — it kind of cost us money to put on, but it was an investment that was worth it. We just wanted kids to get out and play ball.”

    LYBO is putting teams together this week for organized fall baseball games as local teams are starting to want to play again. From ages four and up, spring sign ups will start as early as December. You can sign up for fall or spring baseball or find more information on getting involved with Loveland Youth Baseball Organization on LYBO.org

  • Butler County school asks state supreme court to speed up decision on armed teachers policy

    Butler County school asks state supreme court to speed up decision on armed teachers policy

    By Susan Tebben
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    Columbus, Ohio – An Ohio school district hoping to enact a policy to arm teachers is asking the Ohio Supreme Court to speed up their decision in light of an approaching school year. 
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    Last week, the state’s highest court agreed to hear the appeal of the Madison Local School District in Butler County, after an appeals court ruled they did not have the right to enact a “firearms authorization policy” that would allow armed teachers in schools.
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    Several parents sued the district in 2018 seeking an injunction blocking the district from arming teachers and other staff without the training required of law enforcement officials.
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    When the court of appeals made that ruling in March 2020, it had “no practical effect” on the district, attorneys for the district said in court documents. The decision came after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine closed schools throughout the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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    “That changes (Aug. 13), when the 2020-21 school year begins for Madison with in-person classroom instruction,” attorneys for the district said in their motion. 

    Due to the upcoming school year, the school district is asking the court to “expedite” the schedule and consideration for the ruling.

    Due to the upcoming school year, the school district is asking the court to “expedite” the schedule and consideration for the ruling. They submitted the request two days after the state supreme court agreed to hear the case. 

    The request to speed up a ruling also included an argument that the school should be able to go forward with their firearms policy as the appeals court decision is appealed. 

    Attorneys for the district said the fact that the Ohio Supreme Court accepted the case “implies serious questions going to the merits of the Twelfth District’s decision and that Madison has at least a reasonable prospect of success on the merits.”

    The firearms policy was agreed to after a shooting at the junior/senior high school in which four students were injured, and the shooter, James Austin Hancock was sentenced to juvenile detention until he turns 21.

    The district also said barring the firearms policy as the school year begins could become a safety issue. 

    “To be sure, everyone can hope that Madison does not ever experience another school shooting, and it is possible that the absence of this deterrent effect during the upcoming school year might turn out not to have mattered,” the school district said in court documents. “But it might matter, and Madison has made the policy decision that its students and staff are safer with its policy in place.”

    The firearms policy was agreed to after a shooting at the junior/senior high school in which four students were injured, and the shooter, James Austin Hancock was sentenced to juvenile detention until he turns 21.

    The district noted in its statement to the court that there were no “situations or incidents” during the 2018-19 school year or the part of the  2019-20 school year in which the schools were open.

    The court battle is also the subject of a bill currently in the Ohio Senate. Butler County resident and state Sen. Bill Coley introduced Senate Bill 317 in May with the aim to reduce the amount of training needed for school personnel to be armed in schools. 

    An amendment has been brought up to include a “school marshal program” within the bill. The last hearing on the bill was held July 21.

    Susan Tebben

    Susan Tebben
    Susan Tebben is an award-winning journalist with a decade of experience covering Ohio news, including courts and crime, Appalachian social issues, government, education, diversity and culture. She has worked for The Newark Advocate, The Glasgow Daily Times, The Athens Messenger, and WOUB Public Media. She has also had work featured on National Public Radio.
  • OHSAA Announces Shortened HS Football Season Proposal

    OHSAA Announces Shortened HS Football Season Proposal

    OHSAA adjusts high school season if football is approved by Governor

     

    by Cassie Mattia

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Governor’s recommendation to shorten Ohio’s High School Football seasons has been approved! The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced Friday that due to concerns COVID-19 may spike in the early winter, all Ohio HS football teams will enter into the playoffs on October 9th. The HS State Championship games would be played no later than November 21st. This is only in the event that the Governor’s Office approves Ohio HS Football being played this year.

    The proposal for a shorter football regular season was approved by the OHSAA Board of Directors with a 9-0 vote. OHSAA released a press release after the vote saying that they considered the proposal a win-win situation for all schools because it would then not matter how many games each team played leading up to the playoffs.

    So how will it be determined which HS football teams qualify for the playoffs you may be asking yourself? Well, instead of using the traditional computer ratings system, coaches in each region will conduct a tournament seed meeting the week of September 28th in order to form the regional brackets. This is very similar to how several other team sports within the OHSAA determine which teams qualify for playoffs.

    Loveland High School is apart of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference.

    The shortened football season guidelines state that schools may keep their first six previously scheduled games, but all regular-season football contracts will be now voidable by either school. This is especially important in the event that conferences redo their league schedules so that games will fit into the first six weeks. The OHSAA will also determine new playoff regions in September. Teams that are eliminated from the playoffs may continue to schedule regular-season games up until November 14.

    MAC Announces Postponement of Fall Sports

    The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has announced the postponement of all scheduled fall contests, as well as MAC championships, due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Read on…

    The Big 10 is expected to announce the cancelation of the Fall football season on Tuesday.

    Those schools that have paused sports due to COVID-19 are still able to begin their season in September or early October as well as compete in the playoffs. If a school finds that they would rather play regular-season games up until November 14th and not compete in playoffs they are able to do so.

    “To both ensure we can offer students the opportunity to participate in education-based athletics but do so with their best interests in mind, we believe this modified plan offers a positive solution by addressing many of the concerns of our member schools,” President of the OHSAA Board of Directors and Athletic Administrator at Mentor High School, Jeff Cassella said, “Those that are able to start their seasons on time will be able to do so. Those that are starting later can still have a season. Add in the option of all schools entering the playoffs and the possibility of schools still being able to play 10 regular-season contests, and this plan is helpful to virtually all of our schools.”

    Here are the most important details in regards to the OHSAA’s modified Ohio HS Football season and changes to the Playoffs process:

    • Regular-season games will begin the week of August 24 (same regular-season starting date).
    • All teams are eligible to enter the OHSAA playoffs. New regions will be determined in September.
    • The number of playoff rounds is dependent upon the number of schools entering the playoffs in each division. Coaches in each region will seed all playoff teams in the region to form a bracket, similar to other OHSAA sports.
    • Schools eliminated from the OHSAA playoffs or those schools that choose not to enter the OHSAA playoffs have the option to schedule additional regular-season contests through Saturday, November 14 (maximum of 10 regular season contests permitted).
    • Playoff seeding will be determined via a vote of the coaches the week of September 28 (Harbin Ratings is suspended for the 2020 season).
    • All playoff contests through the regional semifinals (and possibly the regional finals) will be hosted by the higher-seeded team.
    • Schools must commit to participating in the playoffs by 11:59 PM on Thursday, September 17.
    • Playoff regions will be drawn on Friday, September 18.
    • Schools may withdraw from the playoffs without a penalty until Thursday, September 24.

    Below is what the new modified Ohio HS Football season will look like:

    • Regular season Week 1:  Week of August 24
    • Regular season Week 2:  Week of August 31
    • Regular season Week 3:  Week of September 7
    • Regular season Week 4:  Week of September 14
    • Regular season Week 5:  Week of September 21
    • Regular season Week 6:  Week of September 28
    • Playoffs begin Friday, October 9
    • State Finals end no later than Saturday, Nov. 21

    Still, have questions on OHSAA’s modified football season and the new Playoffs process? Click HERE for all of the Q&A’s!

    Thus far the decision on whether or not spectators will be allowed to be present at contact sports this year has not been made yet. The OHSAA stated that “At a minimum, parents should be permitted to attend.”

    Luckily four of the OHSAA’s Fall sports, golf, tennis, volleyball, and cross country, have been determined to be low-contact by the Governor’s Office which means these particular sports will be permitted to have contests with other schools. The remaining Fall sports, field hockey, soccer, and football, have been determined to be high-contact, so the OHSAA, the Governor’s Office and the Ohio Department of Health are working together to create a safe game plan so that these three sports may participate in contests with other schools as well.

    To get the latest 411 on which of Ohio’s High School sports will be competing this year and the most up to date COVID-19 sports safety protocols stay tuned to the Sports 411 With me, Cassie Mattia!

  • Loveland Board to hold special meeting Thursday to discuss reopening plan

    Loveland Board to hold special meeting Thursday to discuss reopening plan

    August 26 is the first day for all students.

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Thursday, August 6 at 5:30 PM to discuss the progress pertaining to the opening of Loveland Schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
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    The special meeting will be held virtually and live-streamed on the Loveland Board of Education’s YouTube channel.
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    The link for the meeting will be available in advance of the meeting on the district’s website at lovelandschools.org/BoardofEducation.aspx or go directly to the YouTube channel to view the meeting. The recording of the meeting will also be archived and available on YouTube.

    August 6 Board Special Meeting livestream link:
    https://youtu.be/rcCLCHcHWE0

    The district is currently offering both in-person and online learning options for the upcoming school year. Loveland parents/guardians must select the learning option (in-person or online) for their child(ren) for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year. Loveland City School District has extended the deadline for online parent choice for all grade levels to August 9, 2020. Families can listen to the progress update at this special board meeting.

    “We want to ensure that our parents have the most current information and data available to support their decision-making for their child’s learning option this semester. We know many parents are struggling with this decision and we want to offer the best guidance possible,” said Loveland Superintendent, Dr. Amy Crouse.

    Loveland’s selection form for grades “K-12” will now be open until Sunday, August 9 at 11:55 p.m. Parents also have the option to change their selection by the August 9 deadline.

    August 26 is the first day for all students.

    Click on the links below to access the online selection forms.

    2020-2021 Selection Form: Grades K-4

    2020-2021 Selection Form: Grades 5-12

    The District also held a PK-4 virtual information meeting today and you can view it HERE.
  • In-person service has resumed at the Library

    In-person service has resumed at the Library

    Loveland and Symmes open and also still offering curbside service

    PHONE NUMBERS

    LOVELAND – 513-369-4476

    SYMMES – 513-369-6001

    The sign on the door of the Loveland Library today.

    Loveland, Ohio – As part of the efforts to continue to serve the public, the Main Library has re-opened for limited in-person service.

    All other locations have re-opened for in-person service on Monday, July 27, including the Loveland and Symmes Branch, with several exceptions:

    • Mt. Healthy and Elmwood Place will begin curbside service on August 3.
    • Greenhills will remain a curbside-only location until after Labor Day.
    • North Central will remain a curbside location until their air conditioning is fixed.
    • College Hill will remain closed to all service due to air conditioner repairs, with a scheduled reopening date of July 29.
    • Price Hill is currently closed through the end of 2020 for a major renovation and expansion project.
    The sign on the door of the Loveland Library today.

    In-Person Service Changes

    At locations offering in-person service customers will notice the following changes:

      • The Library will provide a free mask if a customer needs one. A mask order is currently in effect for all of Hamilton County.
      • Customers and staff are expected to practice physical distancing at all times. Furniture has been spaced out to accommodate this and items like plexiglass barriers have been installed.
      • Each facility will have a lower maximum capacity.
      • Customers will be asked to limit their visits to one hour.
      • Customers will have access to computers, printers, and faxing, as well as the ability to browse and pick up holds.
      • Increased cleaning and sanitizing protocols are in place. Hand sanitizer is available for customers and staff.
      • HVAC system blowers have been increased to maximize airflow.
      • The Library can not accommodate groups at this time, and are not offering in-person programs or events.
      • Curbside and drive-thru service (where available) will still be offered at all currently activated in-person locations.
      • Special hours for vulnerable populations will be held Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10 AM until noon.

    Hours of Service 

    All open locations are now operating from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.

    Book Drops 

    All locations are accepting returns through their book drops, except Price Hill. Materials are being quarantined for four days before being checked-in, so it will be a few days before you see any changes reflected on your account.

    Curbside Service 

    The Loveland Branch has reserved parking spaces for curbside service

    The following locations are open for Curbside Service: Avondale, Blue Ash, Bond Hill, Cheviot, Clifton, Corryville, Deer Park, Delhi, Forest Park, Greenhills, Green Township, Hyde Park, Loveland, Madeira, Madisonville, Mariemont, Miami Township, Monfort Heights, Mt. Washington, North Central, Northside, Norwood, Oakley, Pleasant Ridge, St. Bernard, Sharonville, Symmes, Walnut Hills, Westwood, West End, and Wyoming

    Scheduled appointments are not required for curbside service, but calling ahead will make the process more efficient for you, especially if you need to do something other than pick up a hold.

    When you arrive at your location for curbside pick-up, look for the curbside service sign, park, and call the branch at the number on the sign.

    Drive-Thru Service

    Scheduled appointments are not required for drive-thru service, but calling ahead will make the process more efficient for you, especially for curbside service, or if you need to do something other than pick up a hold. Find phone numbers for all branches on this web page.

    Holds/Borrowing Items 

    If you would like to borrow an item from the Library, search the catalog, find the item you want, place a hold on it, and choose which location you’d like to pick up the item from. Or you can call and place the hold.

    When the item is ready, you will receive an email notice. You can pick it up anytime between 10 AM and 6 PM, Monday through Saturday.  If you’d like, you can call the location and schedule a time for pick-up.

    Online and on the Phone 

      • The eBranch is always open, and is continuing to provide events like storytimes online on a regular basis. Check the calendar for more information.
      • Call, email or chat with seven days a week for help with job searching, finding health information, getting assistance with a library resource, and more.

    For the latest Library service updates and resources, visit COVID-19 resource page.

  • Back to School Giveaway of PPE supplies to students and teachers

    Back to School Giveaway of PPE supplies to students and teachers

    Blue Ash, Ohio – Matthew 25 Ministries is partnering with P&G and City of Blue Ash to provide free back-to-school PPE supplies to students and teachers in the Greater Cincinnati community.

    Teachers and families can simply drive through the Matthew 25 parking lot to receive a free kit of supplies. With the start of the school year rapidly approaching, we hope to help both students and teachers stay safe and healthy during this unprecedented time.

    WHERE: Matthew 25: Ministries, 11060 Kenwood Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45242

    WHEN: Monday through Friday, August 3 – 7, from Noon – 4 PM daily

    IMPORTANT INFO:

    • Kits will only be distributed to students and/or teachers who are present in the vehicle.
    • Student kits will include masks, sanitizer, coloring book and crayons.
    • Teacher kits will include a face shield, masks, sanitizer and pens.
    • Teachers will be required to show their ID/credentials.
    • In an effort to best protect public health and maintain social distancing, recipients must remain in their vehicles while picking up supplies.

  • [Watch Video] What will a day for students in grades PK-6 look like?

    [Watch Video] What will a day for students in grades PK-6 look like?

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District hosted a virtual meeting today to share the reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year for students in grades PK-6.

    In unanimous vote Loveland Board of Education approves reopening plan

     

    Superintendent, Dr. Amy Crouse, Loveland Early Childhood Center Principal Jesse Kohls, Loveland Primary School Principal Kevin Fancher, Garth Carlier the Principal of Loveland Intermediate School, and Andrea Conner Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning spoke during the meeting.

    Yesterday the District hosted a similar virtual meeting for grades 7-12 and you view that meeting HERE.

    Here is the link for the Reopening Plan.

    You can also read the Reopening FAQs.

  • [Watch Video] What will a day at Loveland High and Middle School look like

    [Watch Video] What will a day at Loveland High and Middle School look like

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District hosted a virtual meeting today to share the reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year for students in grades 7-12. (In unanimous vote Loveland Board of Education approves reopening plan)

    Superintendent, Dr. Amy Crouse, High School Principal Peggy Johnson, Middle School Principal David Knapp, and Andrea Conner Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning spoke during the meeting.

    Tomorrow they will host the same style virtual meeting for grades  PK-6. You can watch tomorrow’s meeting on YouTube HERE. The meeting will be “live” between 11:30 AM and 1 PM. Thursday’s meeting will stream at https://youtu.be/-0z4eb_teFU.

  • District to host back-to-school information sessions

    District to host back-to-school information sessions

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District will be hosting both virtual and in-person meetings to share the reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year. (In unanimous vote Loveland Board of Education approves reopening plan)

    District and building administrators will be present to answer parent questions.

    The in-person sessions are reserved for families of current Loveland students.

     

    Wednesday, July 29   Students in grades 7-12

    11:30 AM until 1 PM  VIRTUAL MEETING via YouTube Live: https://youtu.be/idOPdhoSi8g

    Submit your questions in advance via this Google form.

    Wednesday, July 29   Students in grades 7-12

    6 until 8 PM  IN-PERSON MEETING in Loveland Intermediate School Cafeteria

    Presentation and Q and A.

    Sign up in advance at the following link in order for the District to maintain appropriate numbers (half of the normal capacity) and physical distancing: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c45a8ac2faaf49-backtoschool

    Masks or facial coverings are required. Temperature checks will be given prior to entry into the meeting.

    Thursday, July 30   Students in grades PK-6

    11:30 AM until 1 PM  VIRTUAL MEETING via YouTube Live: https://youtu.be/-0z4eb_teFU

    Presentation and Q and A.

    Please submit your questions in advance via this Google form.

    Thursday, July 30   (students in grades PK-6): 

    6 until 8 PM  IN-PERSON MEETING in Loveland Intermediate School Cafeteria

    Presentation and Q and A.

    Sign up in advance at the following link in order for the District to maintain appropriate numbers (half of the normal capacity) and physical distancing: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c45a8ac2faaf49-backtoschool1

    Masks or facial coverings are required. Temperature checks will be given prior to entry into the meeting.

     

    The District says that recordings of the meetings will be posted on the district website.

  • Here is how the Great Oaks campuses will open in the Fall

    Here is how the Great Oaks campuses will open in the Fall

    Here is how the Great Oaks campuses will open in the Fall.

    Please note:  The following information applies only to high school students at Great Oaks campuses.

    Our community, and the world, continues to adapt to the ongoing pandemic. In all that we do at Great Oaks, the safety and health of our students, staff and visitors is our highest priority. Whenever students, staff and visitors are together in a Great Oaks building, we expect that social distancing (at a minimum of 6 feet) is practiced, face coverings will be worn by all, and the buildings and equipment will be frequently cleaned and sanitized. We also encourage such healthy personal habits as regular hand-washing. 

    The following information reflects the most recent planning; information can change if circumstances change.

    Update July 20, 2020

    Academic classes will be held online

    In order to maximize the amount of hands-on, career-technical education available to students, all in-person classes will be in the career lab with the career-technical instructor.  English, mathematics, social studies, and science classes will be held remotely.  Students will spend all day two days per week in their career-technical program.

    As part of this schedule, students will have time to meet individually with academic instructors while on campus, which will support their online learning.  It also means that the same group of students will stay in the same room—their career lab—for the full day, reducing the number of times per day needed to sanitize rooms as we would if students changed classes for multiple periods daily.

    Students will attend the campus on Mondays and Thursdays as part of the A group, or Tuesdays and Fridays as part of the B group.  During the remaining three days, students will work remotely on academic work and other homework, with Wednesday set aside for one-on-one remote assistance.

    This schedule will run for the first quarter, until October 16.