Indoor CIF sports set to begin in coming weeks

Season 2 sports for local high school athletics are underway or about to begin, including some indoor sports such as basketball and volleyball.

According to local officials, volleyball is set to begin next week and basketball will begin the week of April 20. And, as they put it, everyone from the coaches, to the players, to the families are excited to get the season finally underway.

“We’ve been in the gym now a couple of weeks, and it’s been great for everybody to get back in the gym,” said Hart High School boys varsity head coach Tom Kelly.

For the past few weeks, the kids in the gyms have not had to wear masks while they’re “live” practicing, but when water breaks occur or they’re talking with one another closely, masks will need to be worn. But the teams, with a few weeks of practice under their belt, are looking to compete, said Kelly.

“I think there’s going to naturally be speed bumps, because we’ve only had like three weeks to practice,” said Kelly. “I would imagine that everybody probably has about 75% of what they normally do,” he added, in reference to what the other league competition is going to look like, given the universal pandemic parameters.

For basketball, each varsity team in the William S. Hart Union High School District will have 10 games, half home and half away, and only against other Foothill League teams. Playoffs are yet to be determined.

Family members and spectators will be allowed to attend their student-athletes’ games, but the number of observers allowed is limited to immediate household members for the purpose of age-appropriate supervision, officials said.

Additionally, CIF officials announced on Thursday that inter-team competitions, meets, races, or similar events are permitted to occur only with other teams within the state, and only when two teams are involved. No multi-team contests such as volleyball or baseball tournaments may occur.

Multiple teams will be allowed to meet, with the authorization from the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, if the sport involves individual competitors, such as: cross country; golf, tennis and swimming/diving.

A single team may only play another single team within the same day, officials said.