Path to sports’ return outlined
Teams can return to organized workouts as soon as health protocols are established by their respective schools
Kaleb Brown was working out with a handful of his Wilson football teammates Wednesday when Gov. Tom Wolf finally opened the door for them to return to the field as a team.
After a three-month sports lockdown caused by the coronavirus, Wolf announced guidelines — and the PIAA quickly rubber stamped them — clearing the way for thousands of athletes across Pennsylvania to return to organized team workouts.
“When I saw that, I got excited,” said Brown, a rising senior and the Bulldogs quarterback. “The past few months we knew that the season was up in the air.”
Wolf’s announcement didn’t say anything about the start of football or the fall season, and the PIAA didn’t confirm that, either. There are still many steps to be taken before high school and college athletes across the Keystone State can get back on the field, the pitch, the court or in the pool.
At least now they know a path toward that goal exists.
“Today was definitely a step forward,” said Exeter football coach Matt Bauer. “There’s some excitement in the air, but there’s still a lot of things that have to be hashed out.”
The PIAA made it incumbent upon each school to formulate a plan as to how a safe return, following state health guidelines, can occur.
That plan, the PIAA said, must be approved by each school’s governing board and posted on the school’s website.
“Allowing voluntary activities to commence ... is a significant move to allow students to be students,” PIAA executive director Dr. Robert Lombardi said in a statement.
“This is another step toward reopening our state and getting things back on track,” Wolf said. “As students and teammates get ready to train and compete, it’s important that they follow precautions to protect each other and their community from the risk of COVID-19.”
Among the many guidelines, coaches are required to wear masks, to modify practices and games to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus and to maintain social distancing on and off the field.
The guidelines call for screening for COVID-19 symptoms “prior to and during games and practices.”
It suggests players avoid fist bumps, high-fives, spitting or sharing equipment.
How all of that will be achieved in sports such as football, soccer or wrestling is anyone’s guess, and there’s sure to be confusion among athletic directors and coaches.
Lombardi made it clear that the previously established July 1 re-opening date is no longer in effect.
“If there are schools that already have come up with their own rules, teams could start voluntary workouts today,” Lombardi told the Pittsburgh PostGazette.
Schools located in the green phase will have less stringent guidelines than those in the yellow phase, which currently includes Berks County. For example, in the yellow zone, gatherings are limited to 25; in the green zone, the limit is 250.
“You don’t want to put these kids at risk,” Bauer said. “We’re going to take every precaution possible, but also you don’t want to put yourself behind the curve to everyone else.”
College campuses, many of which have been shuttered since late March, will be allowed to host the return of athletes and coaches, in accordance with state Department of Health guidelines.
Pro sports teams may practice and play in accordance to their league and state health guidelines. Each team’s plan for reopening must include, at minimum, “a process for testing or screening for COVID-19, and monitoring all on-premises attendees,” according to the governor’s release.
Recreational and amateur sports teams in the green phase that are not affiliated with a K-12 school can hold in-person activities, including games and practices. Youth sports organizations should follow Center for Disease Control guidelines.
Indoor activities are limited to PIAA- and NCAA-affiliated institutions.
Schools will be scrambling in the coming days to get up and running but at least now there is some light at the end of the tunnel. That wasn’t as visible before Wednesday.
“This has definitely given us some hope,” Bauer said.