mollyfamwatLOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – High school sports can now resume even if their home neighborhoods remain purple or widespread, according to new guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.
I’ll definitely be emotional, I’ll suppress tears, I suppressed tears a few weeks ago when we got together with the guys because it’s baseball, it’s a sport, but it’s a life we share, said Brent Lavoie, head baseball coach at Long Beach Polytechnic.
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The new guidelines apply to all organized school and community programs, as well as private youth and adult sports clubs and leagues.
With fewer cases and fewer hospitalizations in California, we are allowing the open competition to resume with changes and measures to reduce risk in counties with lower incidence rates, Dr. Tomas Aragon, state director of public health and director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement.
The decision comes as California gains more momentum in reopening schools. Los Angeles County officials said last week that the number of cases has improved to the point where elementary schools can reopen, and Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday that the state will begin reopening elementary schools starting January 1. During the month of March, 10 percent of the vaccines will be given to teachers.
We are confident that with the new guidelines we are releasing today, we can get youth sports in the state of California back on track, get the league in the state of California back on track, as always with some reservations, Newsome said at Friday’s COVID-19 briefing.
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College cross country skiers warm up for Saturday’s 6 game. February 2021, at. (Photo by Mindy Schauer/Digital First MEDIA/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Under the new rules, outdoor contact sports can be played in districts where the COWID-19 level does not exceed 14 per 100,000. Since football, basketball, rugby and water polo are generally played without a mask and with close personal contact by more than 15 people, players aged 13 and over must undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, the results of which will be known within 24 hours of the game.
We’ve been jumping in bags and running all over the field since last August, you have to be tough to endure that, said Bruce Rollinson, Mater Dei’s head football coach. You guys deserve to see this great football team, because I have a race car and we’re going to race soon.
Outdoor sports with moderate contact – including baseball, cheerleading and softball – can continue without weekly testing, officials said.
I tell the girls before every race that you know nothing is guaranteed, that Covid could get worse, that our season could be cut short midway through, so just act like this is your last race, said Tait Vigeland, captain of the women’s team with Dei’s mother.
The policy requires teams to provide risk information to all parents and guardians of minors participating in the sport, and for them to sign a consent form acknowledging the risk.
Teams playing a lesser sport are always encouraged to follow the COVID-19 safety rules, including wearing masks, physical distance and hand hygiene.
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Schools in Orange County will likely start their season earlier than those in Los Angeles County, where the workload may remain high for longer.
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