Coronavirus: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announces all sports approved for fall

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday all high school and youth sports are cleared for competition this fall.

That includes football, soccer and field hockey, contact sports that were previously banned from inter-team competition.

The highly anticipated announcement came almost three weeks after fall sports practice began in Ohio and less than two weeks before the first scheduled Friday night football games in the state.

“I would express a hope -- I have a lot of hopes -- but one hope is the desire to have a season will inspire our young people, our athletes, 24-seven, to be as careful as they can,” DeWine said.

Soccer and field hockey games are on the docket this week while noncontact sports have already been competing, in the case of youth baseball and softball teams since late spring.

Golf and cross country for both boys and girls as well as girls tennis already started high school competitions, and volleyball is also set to begin games Friday.

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