Falcon News

Athletics Phase 1

Pre- workout Screening: 

• All coaches and students must be screened for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 prior to each workout. Screening includes a temperature check. 
• Responses to screening questions for each person will be recorded and stored so that there is a record of everyone present in case a student develops COVID-19.
• Any person with positive symptoms reported cannot be allowed to take part in a workout and should contact his or her primary care provider or other appropriate health-care professional. 
• Vulnerable individuals should not oversee or participate in any workouts during Phase 1. 
  • “Vulnerable individuals” are defined by CDC as people age 65 years and older and others with serious underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and those whose immune systems are compromised such as by chemotherapy for cancer and other conditions requiring such therapy.

Limitations on Gatherings: 

• All gatherings are required to be outdoors.
• No gathering of more than up to 14 athletes and up to 2 coaches at a time.  
• No gatherings indoors for training sessions.  All training sessions must remain outdoors.
• When possible, locker rooms should not be utilized during Phase 1. Students should report to workouts in proper gear and immediately return home to shower at the end of the workout. If students are coming from the school-day, they are required to wear their mask while in the locker rooms and should maintain 6 feet of social distance while changing for their training session.  There should be no more than 10 persons inside of the locker room at a time.
• Workouts should be conducted in “pods” of students with the same 10-14 students always working out together. Smaller pods should be utilized for weight training. This ensures more limited exposure if someone develops an infection. 
• There must be a minimum distance of 6 feet between each individual at all times. If this is not possible, then the maximum number of individuals in the group must be decreased until proper social distancing can occur. 
• Face coverings are required for both the athlete and the coach for instruction that cannot be done maintaining 6 feet of social distancing.

Facilities Cleaning: 

• Prior to an individual or groups of individuals entering a facility, hard surfaces within that facility should be wiped down and sanitized (chairs/benches, furniture in meeting rooms, sports equipment, weight room equipment, bathrooms, etc.). 
• Individuals should wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water and soap before touching any surfaces or participating in workouts. 
• Hand sanitizer should be plentiful and available to individuals as they transfer from place to place. 
• Weight equipment must be wiped down thoroughly before and after an individual’s use of equipment. 
• Appropriate clothing/shoes should be worn at all times in the weight room to minimize sweat from transmitting onto equipment/surfaces. 
• Any equipment such as weight benches, athletic pads, etc. having holes with exposed foam must be covered. 
• Students must be encouraged to shower and wash their workout clothing immediately upon returning to home. 

Physical Activity and Athletic Equipment: 

• There should be no shared athletic equipment (towels, clothing, shoes, or sports specific equipment) between students. 
• Students should wear their own appropriate workout clothing (do not share clothing) individual clothing/towels should be washed and cleaned after every workout. 
• All athletic equipment, including balls, should be cleaned after each use and prior to the next workout. 
• Individual drills requiring the use of athletic equipment are permissible, but the equipment should be cleaned prior to use by the next individual. 
• Resistance training should be emphasized as body weight, sub-maximal lifts and use of resistance bands. 
• Free weight exercises that require a spotter cannot be conducted while honoring social distancing norms. Safety measures in all forms must be strictly enforced in the weight room.
• Examples (including but not limited to): 
  • A basketball player can shoot with a ball(s), but a team should not practice/pass a single ball among the team where multiple players touch the same ball. 
  • A football player should not participate in team drills with a single ball that will be handed off or passed to other teammates. Contact with other players is not allowed, and there should be no sharing of tackling dummies/donuts/sleds. 
  • A volleyball player should not use a single ball that others touch or hit in any manner. 
  • Softball and baseball players should not share gloves, bats, or throw a single ball that will be tossed among the team. A single player may hit in cages, throw batting practice (with netting as backstop, no catcher). Prior to another athlete using the same balls, they should be collected and cleaned individually. 
  • Cheerleaders may not practice/perform partner stunts or building. (Chants, jumps, dances without contact are permissible.) 
  • Runners should maintain the recommended 6 feet of distancing between individuals 

Hydration: 

• • All students shall bring their own water bottle. Water bottles must not be shared. 
  • Hydration stations (water cows, water trough, water fountains, etc.) should not be utilized.