Guidelines for high school, youth athletes confound public
A month since state high school officials announced that student-athletes could participate in multiple sports this spring, some parents, coaches and youth sports leaders remain confused while trying to interpret state guidelines that lack clarity.
Some people are not letting kids compete in multiple sports at the same time because they say the guidelines do not spell it out and they are worried about being reprimanded for not following the rules.
“Can we just get a directive to tell us what to do?” said Marisa Watts Cozort, founder and coach of Swim
South Bay, a San Jose club.
In a statement to the Bay Area News Group, state public health officials said this week they recommend against playing on more than one team at a time but the guideline is not a requirement.
In other words, the California Department of Public Health will not stop anyone from playing on multiple teams.
“There are very specific requirements and recommendations within the guidance,” the statement said. It added that the guideline for multiple sports participation is a “strong recommendation.”
The confusion surrounds this guideline from the state website:
“Limit participation by athletes and coaches during practice and competition to one team, and refrain from participating with more than one team over the same season or time period.”
Watts Cozort, the former swim coach at San Jose-presentation High School, said parents are asking if the athletes can compete on the club and high school teams this season.
“We say no, it’s not written anywhere,” Watts Cozort said.
Kevin O’sullivan of Pleasanton said Wednesday he cannot get a straight answer for his three kids who attend Amador Valley High School.
His son, a senior who plays high school football and baseball, is being forced to choose, O’sullivan said. “They open gyms and restaurants, and kids can’t play on multiple teams,” he said.
Santa Clara County Council James Williams acknowledged Tuesday during a Board of Supervisors meeting that the state guidelines have led to confusion.
“The only applicable rules for youth sports activities, or adult recreational sporting activities, or for that matter, everything else, comes from the state’s guidance with knowledge that sometimes that state guidance can be ambiguous or unclear,” Williams said in addressing a question from Supervisor Otto
Lee. “Unfortunately, since we didn’t draft it we are not in position to be able to help elucidate.”
Williams also said Santa Clara County, which has had some of the country’s strictest pandemic rules, has no directive involving youth sports. He said the county follows state guidelines.
“There is no longer anything specific to youth sports, to dining, travel or anything else,” Williams said.
Alameda County also is following the state guidelines for youth sports. A county spokeswoman said Wednesday the “recommendations are not a requirement.”
O’sullivan, the Pleasanton
father, said school officials told him that Alameda County is not allowing participation in more than one sport per season. O’sullivan said coaches and school administrators are worried about making the wrong decision despite what the county has said.
The language on the county website is unclear:
“There is a limit of one cohort (team) per season for coaches and athletes. Refrain from participating with more than one team over the same season.”
O’sullivan and Watts Cozort said they just want a definitive guideline. Watts Cozort said some clubs like Swim South Bay have followed the rules “to the tee” but others have not.