Schools proceeding with sports practices

City Schools of Decatur is proceeding with football, volleyball and softball practice beginning Monday with cross country commencing the week after.

That door was opened on July 20 when The Georgia High School Association’s board of trustees voted 12-0 to postpone football season until early September but ultimately cancel no games.

The remaining fall sports mentioned above along with cheerleading remain on schedule.

Decatur’s football team has a scrimmage tentatively scheduled for Aug. 28 with its opener on Sept. 4.

CSD’s Athletics and Activities Director Rodney Thomas said during an interview with the AJC this week Decatur schools will follow more stringent guidelines than the GHSA. Among other precautions, athletic personnel will:

■ Use a disinfectant fogger to sanitize locker rooms and showers after each practice.

■ Allow no more than five players in a locker room at one time with no congregating. Thomas said the football team may utilize up to three locker rooms inside the high school’s arena.

■ Mandate that helmets get cleaned twice per practice

■ Allow only small groups on the field, no more than 20 players and coaches in a group.

■ Not allow use of water fountains — athletes must bring their own water.

■ Allow one bathroom for indoors, one outdoors.

Thomas admits to a basic contradiction in opening fall sports in a school district whose K-12 academic curriculum is entirely virtual until at least Sept. 25.

The state of Georgia has 152,302 confirmed coronavirus cases as of mid-week, and last week was named one of 18 “red zone” states.

“The school system reserves the right to pull the plug,” Thomas said. “But as long as we’ve been given the okay, we want kids to participate. For many of our students, extracurriculars are a predominant motivator in their academic performance. And while it’s true football is our most revenue-driven sport that’s not our driving force. We have kids vying for college scholarships, so this is a critical time.”

Protocols, Thomas said, are changing every day, and right now he’s not sure if or how many fans can attend, although there will be streaming options, and the band and cheerleaders can occupy the stands.