Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Board considering starting football season on Oct. 30
The Palm Beach County School Board is considering whether to allow District schools to begin getting ready for their seasons in less than two weeks.
Under a plan being considered by the School Board, Palm Beach County teams could begin outdoor conditioning on Sept. 21. Teams would be allowed to move to in indoor weight rooms on Oct. 5, begin noncontact practices on Oct. 12, contact practices on Oct. 17 and begin their seasons on Oct. 30. The plan has not been adopted yet. The next regular School Board meeting is on Sept. 16.
Under the plan, athletics in Palm Beach County will be conducted in a drastically different fashion than they have been previously. Palm Beach County public schools would also opt out of the Florida High School Athletic Association state series, eliminating local teams from playing for a state title this season.
The season would last from Oct. 30 until Dec. 19. Regular season games would be played at three sites: Boca Raton High, Jupiter High and Wellington High. One game would be played on Friday night at 6 p.m. Three games would be played on Saturdays, with games starting at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The season would last seven weeks, including one bye week. Teams would play six regular-season games, primarily against other Palm Beach County opponents. Week 7 would be a week for bowl games against teams from Broward, Miami-Dade or Palm Beach.
A limited number of people would be allowed to attend each game. Each participant would be given two tickets. Two pre-approved parents or guests would have to purchase their tickets in advance online and any attendees would have their temperature taken. There would be a consideration to expand ticket sales after the Thanksgiving break.
The School District is expecting to lose $650,000 due to the decrease of gate revenue and because of the structure of regional play. Junior varsity and freshman football teams would delay their seasons until the winter.
Practices would be regimented in order to prevent the risk of COVID-19 spreading. Players and coaches would need to bring their own water bottles, face coverings, and towels. Parents, guardians and other spectators would not be allowed to attend workouts or practices. All participants would have to wash or sanitize their hands before and after workouts, and coaches would have to sanitize equipment.
Workouts would be limited to “pods” of players and a coach that include up to 10 people total. Each pod must remain together for each workout. When workouts move into the weight room on Oct. 5, pods can be expanded to 20 people.
If the first three phases are conducted successfully, football teams can begin non-contact practices on Oct. 17 and contact practices five days later.
Other sports would be on similar timelines. Cross country and golf would begin on Oct. 5, bowling and swimming and diving would begin on Oct. 13 and girls volleyball season would begin on Oct. 26.