By Kevin Hensley and Noah Shatzer
Community Newspapers, Inc.
The National Federation of State High School Associations released a list of recommended, restrictive measures to resume high school sports in the fall on May 19.
The N.C. High School Athletic Association is a member of the national governing body for high school sports, but could still create its own set of guidelines.
The federation broke down high school sports into three categories, ranked by risk:
* Lower risk: individual running events, throwing events, individual swimming, golf, weightlifting, sideline cheerleading and cross country, with staggered starts
* Moderate risk: basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, gymnastics, field hockey, tennis, swimming relays, pole vault, high jump, long jump, girls lacrosse and 7-on-7 football
* Higher risk: wrestling, football, boys lacrosse, competitive cheer and dance.
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Along with identifying sports by risk, the federation also released a 3-phase process for sports to follow.
Phase One would include:
* Pre-workout screenings. This would include screening for COVID-19 symptoms, in addition to temperature checks for all staff and coaches before a workout.
* Gathering limits. No more than 10 people at a time, indoors or outdoors. Workouts should be conducted in groups of 10 or less, who remain together after grouping. Weightlifting groups should remain small as well. Additionally, locker rooms should not be used; rather, athletes should arrive and leave with proper gear and return home.
* Cleaning protocols. Hard surfaces should be wiped down before a workout. Hand washing should be practiced and hand sanitizer should be made available for everyone. Athletes should shower and wash clothes immediately after returning home.
* Physical activity and equipment. Athletes should not share equipment or clothing. Additionally, all equipment should be cleaned before and after use. Drills using equipment would be permissible, but it should be cleaned in-between uses. Free weights that require a spotter are not permissible.
* Hydration. All athletes should bring their own water bottles and not share them. Normal hydration stations should be used.
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Phase Two would see no changes from the initial phase for pre-workout screenings, cleaning or hydration. Less than 10 people would be allowed indoors, while 50 people could gather outdoors for workouts.
Locker rooms can be used, but social distancing should be observed. The number of times equipment should be cleaned during a workout would also reduce and spotters could be used for weight training.
Phase Three would include no changes for cleaning protocols. However, anyone showing signs of a cold or fever in a 24-hour period should not be allowed to participate. Gathering sizes of 50 or more would be permitted – indoors or outdoors – and hydration stations would return, but must be cleaned after every practice or event.
State recommendations
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services released its own set of recommended guidelines Friday.
According to Sec. Mandy Cohen of the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services, the guidelines released focus on promoting activity with non-contact sports.
“We know that contact sports, like basketball or football, where you’re in each other’s personal spaces, where you’re breathing out respiratory droplets on one another, we know that is a higher way of spreading the virus as opposed to non-contact sports like tennis, or baseball, or individual sports like swimming or golf,” Cohen said in a press conference Friday.
The Department of Health and Human Services also emphasized the importance of social distancing and included a list of recommendations for maintaining social distancing standards, including:
* Closing or marking off all common seating areas, like dugouts and bleachers, that promote individuals gathering in groups.
* Designating and arranging specific equipment for use that is properly spaced at six feet apart.
* Considering workouts in groups/pods of individuals with the same group always working out together, including weight training, to limit exposure should someone become sick.
* Individuals should refrain from any unnecessary physical contact with others.
* Coaches should modify and avoid up close face to face communication.
* Personal training s and fitness coaching should practice social distancing to the extent possible.
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In regards to masks, the Department of Health and Human Services strongly recommended that athletes, coaches, staff, and participants wear cloth face coverings when not actively engaged in physical activity, or when they may be less than 6 feet from other people.
Association’s stance
The state athletic association brainstormed over the weekend, before holding a Zoom conference with media on Tuesday.
Athletic commissioner Que Tucker spoke for roughly an hour about which direction the association will go, indicating it will follow the state’s guidelines.
“We will be very deliberate with our tasks,” Tucker said. “That is one of the reasons that we have not rushed to resume activities.
“Our job is to put in place the things that we think can happen – with safe distancing of six feet apart and providing opportunities to wash hands – and we will have a combination of the guidelines and ideas that were presented by the federation, state and others that you will not find in any document. But it is very clear that whatever we do, it will not be outside the parameters of what is in the guidelines given to us by the state.”
Tucker also commented on the status of fall sports, which is the soonest fans could expect high school athletics. Should football or volleyball not be played in front of paying spectators – which might prove to be a necessary evil – the financial windfall would be significant.
“I don’t think there’s any question that football is very important, in terms of the financial viability of most athletic programs,” Tucker said. “To not be able to have any fans in the stands would be really, really tough.”
“If we are at a point where we can reduce the number of fans that get in, then what would that reduction be? It would be a reduction that would be guided by the Department of Health and Human Services.”
The N.C. High School Athletic Association originally announced it would suspend the COVID-19 dead period June 1, but shifted course Tuesday and extended the dead period until June 15.
High school sports across the state were halted March 13, and the spring sports season was canceled altogether April 24, after K-12 schools were closed.