High school football coaches propose plan

The Ohio High School Football Coaches Association has proposed a set of guidelines and protocols for the return of the sport this fall, keeping in step with restrictions put in place by the office of Gov. Mike Dewine during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 38-page proposal, which was put together by a committee including coaches and medical professionals, has been presented to the governor’s office “as a working document that may require additional action.”

The OHSFCA said it “stands ready to work with” Dewine, his taskforce and the Ohio High School Athletic Association

to ensure a season this fall.

The proposal details numerous protocols, including having coaches and athletes maintaining social distancing of 6 feet at all times while on the sidelines and on the field when possible; having players, coaches, officials, team personnel and game administrators wash and sanitize their hands before, during and after games; and allowing coaches, team staff and officials to wear face coverings.

In addition, there would be limits to the number of nonessential personnel on the field during games, dressing facilities for officials and teams that would be large enough for them to maintain distance and public-address announcements made before, during and after games to follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The proposal also outlines practice plans in which groups of nine or fewer would be placed in pods and staggered, along with daily temperature checks of all players, having locker rooms that allow for social distancing and limiting scrimmages.

On Wednesday, Dewine was asked about the restart proposal and said he would be providing “additional guidance based upon what we’re seeing in Ohio.”

Dewine acknowledged the importance of sports for many Ohioans, saying “we all want to see our kids and our grandkids in sports,” whether high school or college. But, he added, “Everybody is concerned about young people, concerned about contact sports.

“Frankly, we’ve got to get a little closer to this in time. We know that training is going on. We know that practices have to be taking place. We understand the timeline, but we want to see where we are and we need to get a little closer before we can make any kind of decision in regard to that. We’ll be in consultation with a lot of the coaches. We’ll be in consultation with the schools.” julrey@thisweeknews.com @Ulreythisweek