Athletes are allowed to return to practice
Wildcats began limited practice Monday
CHICO >> After over a year without games or practices, Chico State athletes were approved to take part in limited team activities on Monday. Chico State athletics are permitted to practice through May 7 according to the athletic department.
Chico State sporting events have been canceled since March 17, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Teams will be allowed five weeks of guided strength and conditioning workouts.
Along with strength and conditioning, the NCAA also approved sport skill instruction for each team which is defined as “outside the playing season activity.”
Chico State Athletic Director Anita Barker said that just about 200 students have opted in and six teams began practicing Monday afternoon on the different fields around campus.
Barker said 100 students spread out between the teams show up each day spread out over different time periods of the day.
“It was awesome. It was so great to see everybody,” Barker said. “I think everyone’s just excited to get going with a slow start and we want to be smart because our student- athletes haven’t done a lot in the last year, not competitive sport obviously. So we have to be concerned about their physical return and be careful with that. We’re all looking at this fiveweek window as kind of the reopening to get us ready for fall.”
While strength and conditioning sessions are allowed, full team practices, scrimmages, intrasquad games or other forms of competition are not allowed under the current guidelines.
Strength and conditioning is still not permitted indoors at Chico State. Head strength and conditioning coach Colin Coughenour has been lifting weights with athletes near the concession
stands at Nettleton Stadium.
Pitchers, catchers and batters in baseball and softball will be the only exception to studentathletes directly interacting with each other Barker said.
Instead, teams will be divided into small groups, said Chico State Sports Information Director Luke Reid.
Each team will be given two 90-minute sport skill instruction sessions per week, per group, Reid said in an email. Additional strength and conditioning times are being planned as COVID-19 restrictions lift, however, details and times are yet to be announced.