NJSIAA says summer workouts can begin July 13

The NJSIAA took another step toward a return to sports in the fall by issuing guidelines for summer workouts.

Known as the summer recess period, member schools can begin workouts on July 13 and run them through July 26. During the ‘Phase 1’ period, workouts will be limited to conditioning, skill sets, and sport-specific non-contact drills.

All student-athletes, coaches and staff on school ground must go through a daily pre-screening check before taking part in a workout. The pre-screening consists of a Covid-19 questionnaire that needs to be completed seven days prior to the first workout and daily temperature checks. If any participant has a temperature over 100.4 degrees they are removed from the group and sent home.

Additionally, all workouts must take place outside and can last no longer than 90 minutes, including a 10-minute warm-up and cool down. No more than ten people may be grouped together in a single area, with social distancing of at least six feet between student-athletes and staff at all times. Athletes engaged in physical activity are not required to masks, although all coaches and staff will be have to wear one.

“These guidelines represent the first of a succession of steps toward meeting our return to play targets,” said NJSIAA chief operating officer Colleen Maguire. “But, it’s important that we take a disciplined approach and stay mindful of health and safety concerns for all.”

Coaches are permitted to maintain virtual contact with student-athletes until the summer recess starts.

“Unlike youth and recreation sports — which are operating on an accelerated schedule — high school sports must remain in sync with our schools,” NJSIAA assistant director Tony Maselli said. “Scholastic athletics are part of the school curriculum; they don’t operate independently. As the most densely populated state and one that was significantly impacted by COVID-19 during the spring, New Jersey is working to safely return to school more than 1.5 million teachers and students — including 283,000 scholastic athletes — without causing a significant spike. Our guidelines provide a staged approach to those schools that wish to move forward during July. And, at the same time, they give student athletes time to ease into more rigorous activities.”