State OKs return of sports for youths
High school, adult rec events resume this month
Outdoor high school sports are coming back for most of the Bay Area next week, marking the end of a 10month timeout for the athletes deemed to be at risk by playing in a pandemic.
Youth sports and adult recreational outdoor competition can restart in many counties statewide on Feb. 26, according to California Department of
Public Health guidance updated Friday.
Highcontact sports, many of which are likely to be played unmasked, can restart in counties with a case rate at or below 14 per 100,000 people; all Bay Area counties except Contra Costa and Solano now meet that threshold.
Weekly testing will be required for football, rugby and water polo players older than 13 in
counties with a case rate between 7 and 14 per 100,000. Testing is also required for coaches in these sports, with results available within 24 hours of competition.
The state will pay for the tests, Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference.
“We are now confident with new guidelines that we’re publishing today that we can get youth sports moving again in the state of California,” Newsom said.
Moderatecontact sports, such as baseball, cheerleading and softball, can be played without the testing requirement. Regular protections include wearing masks, physical distancing, handwashing and equipment sanitation.
Each player’s parent or guardian must sign an informed consent acknowledging risks in order to play.
Though all the new regulations and testing will be a challenge, Serra of San Mateo football coach Patrick Walsh said it pales in comparison to the rigors of the past two months.
He started the now 900member Golden State High School Football Coaches Community in December, which has teamed with the 60,000member Facebook “Let Them Play” group and has met almost daily with Newsom and his office over the past three weeks.
“A lot of people told us we couldn’t get this done,” Walsh said. “Moving a mountain can’t be done. You can’t go against mother nature. But with human nature anything is possible. A lot of human beings have done a lot of amazing work to get to this point. More work needs to be done. But today is a good day.”
High school sports have been on pause since April 3 with the exception of lowcontact sports like cross country, golf, field hockey and tennis, which began in most counties earlier this month. Indoor sports such as basketball, wrestling and volleyball are still considered unsafe but have an outside shot at playing by the end of the school year, Walsh said he was told by health officials.
“Youth sports are important to our children’s physical and mental health, and our public health approach has worked to balance those benefits against COVID-19 risks,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, CDPH director and state public health officer, said in a statement Friday. “With case rates and hospitalizations declining across California, we are allowing outdoor competition to resume, with modifications and steps to reduce risk, in counties where case rates are lower.”
Case rates can change quickly, but as of Friday, Solano (15.5) and Contra Costa (15.3) had case rates higher than the required 14 per 100,000 metric. Health officers may implement more stringent rules tailored to local conditions and should be consulted to confirm if there are any local stricter variations, the state health department said.
Studentathletes at San Francisco County public schools will remain sidelined until plans are approved for the resumption of inperson learning, under guidelines from the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
“Today was a great day for the state and might be for us down the road,” San Francisco Section commissioner Don Collins said. “We hope we can get our kids back to school, which will release our student athletes to play. It’s a process. We can cross our fingers and hope.”
Lincoln of San Francisco football coach Phil Ferrigno said it’s been agonizing not being able to lead his team, which has won backtoback state championships.
“Today was great news for some but not for all,” he said. “We’re hoping for a safe return for all kids. I am glad there was finally a decision made.”
High school football will require a minimum of two weeks of practice before competition begins, and teams are expecting to play between five and seven games. The season must end by May 1, according to CIF rules.
“You love to see governing officials listening to what the people want and having the knowledge to know it’s safe to do,” said Serra senior football player Sioele Helu. “It feels like the world is starting to get back to normal and this is definitely a step in the right direction.”
Said Helu’s teammate Christian Pedersen: “It feels like I just had a crippling weight lifted off my shoulders. I now feel more motivated than I have as a person in the last year.”