COVID-19 Pandemic
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down high school sports in North Carolina for the better part of a year. The impacts were felt for a long time.
This section of the Varsity NC Oral History Project documents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on North Carolina high school sports. Through firsthand accounts from athletes, coaches, administrators, officials, families, media members, and community leaders, it preserves memories of canceled championships, postponed and shortened seasons, attendance restrictions, changing safety protocols, eligibility concerns, and the emotional toll of losing important athletic experiences. The collection also highlights how schools and communities adapted by revising schedules, adopting new training methods, livestreaming, limiting crowds, and gradually returning to competition. Together, these stories provide a lasting record of one of the most disruptive periods in the history of North Carolina high school athletics.
James Alverson
administrator
2020
In this interview, former NCHSAA communications official James Alverson helps reconstruct one of the most surreal weeks in North Carolina high school sports history. He discusses the rapid collapse of normal championship week, the challenge of communicating with schools and media, and the long uncertainty that followed.
More from this collection
Peter Hagermoser
Apex Friendship · Boys Lacrosse · 2020
Apex Friendship boys lacrosse coach Peter Hagermoser reflects on the final week before COVID shut down high school sports. He shares how an impromptu senior night with rival Apex came together, what it was like coaching through uncertainty, and why that moment still matters today.