Broward delays start of workouts until July 20

As Florida reports thousands of new coronavirus cases each day, the Broward County Athletic Association has pushed back the tentative fall sports voluntary workout start date.

The BCAA previously set a tentative start date of July 13, but that date has been pushed back to July 20, according to BCAA Director of Athletics and Student Activities Shawn Cerra.

Cerra said the decision on when to allow workouts to begin is being made on a week-toweek basis. The BCAA originally set July 6 and then July 13 as tentative start dates.

“We’re advised by local medical professionals and the health services department,” Cerra told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

BCAA teams, which include all of the county’s public schools plus Cardinal Gibbons, Coral Springs Charter, Pembroke Pines Charter and St. Thomas Aquinas, will be required to follow several guidelines when workouts begin.

Workouts will consist only of weightlifting, running and physical fitness drills.

Teams will not be allowed to run sport-specific drills or use sportspecific equipment.

Workouts are encouraged to take place outdoors, and participants will be required to stay 6 feet apart. Masks will be required when entering and exiting the training facility, and when people cannot stay 6 feet apart.

Students participating in workouts will have to be organized into groups of 10 people or less, including the coach and medical personnel. Students will be required to stay in those groups and are encouraged to not interact with other groups. The guidelines note that group sizes may be larger depending on the size of the facility being used.

Coaches will be required to take a daily record of which players attend the voluntary sessions and if they present any coronavirus-related symptoms.

Coaches will have to monitor players for temperatures over 100.4 degrees, chills, coughs, muscle aches, headaches, sore throats, runny noses, nausea, vomiting and loss of sense of taste or smell. If players present any of those symptoms, they will not be allowed to participate in the workouts.

Coaches will also be required to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and equipment. Free-weight exercises that require a spotter will not be allowed.

Players will be required to bring their own water bottles, shoes, towels and other personal equipment.

Teams will not be allowed to use shared locker rooms, shared water coolers or water fountains.