FA teams are ready to return for workouts
School first to bring athletes back since start of pandemic
Foundation Academy football is the first high school sports program in the Orlando area scheduled to return to campus since mid-March when athletic activities were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The private school, located in Winter Garden, announced more than a week ago that athletes could return for offseason workouts beginning Monday. Safety guidelines were implemented last week.
“Our players know the responsibility that they have for the whole school right now,” Foundation football coach Brad Lord said. “All eyes are on us.”
Foundation’s team will take part in its first summer conditioning workout as a group Monday from 8-11 a.m. Lord said the team will continue to meet five days a week throughout the month of June.
Boys basketball players are also expected to return to Foundation on Monday. The school’s cross country, girls soccer and volleyball teams will begin meeting on Tuesday. Teams are scheduled to be on campus at different times to limit the number of people at the school.
“Prior to opening up the campus our staff met and went over guidelines and we trained each coach in the proper procedures to follow,” Foundation Academy athletic director Lisa Eaves wrote in an email. “We understand that this is a privilege and are excited to have our athletes back.“
Foundation hosted a social-distancing graduation last Saturday for its 53 seniors.
Protocol for athletes returning to campus includes having a current physical on file, signing a COVID-19 form and undergoing a daily temperature and symptoms check. Athletes will not have access to locker rooms and must bring their own water bottles with their names marked on them. All equipment will be routinely sanitized.
Designated locations for belongings such as an individual’s bag, water bottle and towel will be spaced to comply with social-distancing guidelines.
Lord said he expects 35 of his 40 players to report Monday for the start of conditioning and the team will be split into groups of no more than eight during practice sessions.
The Florida High School Athletic Association restricts member schools from allowing football players to wear helmets and pads or engage in physical contact while on campus during the summer months.
“I don’t really see this as a risk. I see getting the kids back as helping with their mental health,” Lord said. “But it’s going to take patience and some trial and error. Our administration has taken the parents’ concerns in hand with getting this going.”
Individual private schools and the 67 school districts in Florida have the authority to reopen campuses as they see fit. Many throughout the state have chosen to follow the direction of the Florida Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control before making that decision.
FHSAA football administrator Frank Beasley said that reopening dates of June 1 and June 8 have recently been mentioned by “a lot” of schools and school districts around the state.
“We’re in the research phase,” said Lake Highland Prep athletic director Charmaine Schreiber in a May 27 email. “The earliest would be June 8. We’re following the CDC guidelines. [The NFHS guidelines] will be the baseline for any decision we make.”
The National Federation of State High Schools Associations sent a three-phase plan full of safety guidelines to its 51 state associations — including the FHSAA — on May 19. Restrictive Phase 1 recommendations include the use of cloth masks, limited ball use, cleansing of equipment and individuals maintaining a separation of six feet.
Many of those recommendations are being instituted this week at Foundation Academy.
Seminole County spokesperson Mike Gaudreau said Friday that “coaches are submitting social-distancing plans which will include safety precautions for players and coaches” before a date to reopen is decided upon.
Celebration football coach Jay Sobke posted on Twitter Friday that his team will return to its Osceola County campus on June 15. The school district has not announced the decision, but Celebration athletic director Rick Tribit confirmed the superintendent will soon allow athletes to begin offseason training.
Orange County Public Schools said the district “is still working on procedures for the return of athletics,” according to a spokesperson. Volusia County is awaiting guidance from the Department of Education before confirming a date.