INDIANAPOLIS — Despite extended restrictions for some Indiana venues, ongoing concerns over the coronavirus won’t hamper students’ return to school sports and activities next week.
In the guidance provided by the Indiana Department of Education, the return to student activities is expected to happen in three stages starting Monday.
Offseason fall workouts will begin, and marching bands across the state are also getting back to the practice field. But student participation won't look like it did a year ago.
State athletic and music associations are still monitoring the toll of the virus and warn that even after activities start back up, they could still be put on-hold once the academic year begins.
Read Phase I of the extracurricular plan from IDOE below or the full plan by clicking HERE.
Phase I: July 6-July 19
- Student athletes should be limited to 15 hours per week on campus.
- Individual student athletes are limited to 15 total hours of school contact activity per calendar week. (The Sunday Rule will be enforced)
- School contact activity includes conditioning and sport-specific activities.
- No sport may have more than two activity days per calendar week. Each sport must register their activity days in the office of the Athletic Director at least 10 days in advance. Sport-specific activity days may not occur on consecutive calendar days.
- Activity days are limited to three hours per day. (Six hours per calendar week.)
- Conditioning is limited to four days per week. Conditioning sessions may be held multiple times each day, each session limited to two hours. Student athletes may attend only one conditioning session per day.
- ALL SUMMER ACTIVITIES ARE VOLUNTARY
- All State and local guidelines for group limitations must be followed and social distancing is encouraged.
- Any student who prefers to wear a face covering for activities should be allowed, if doing so will not cause a health risk.
- Students, when not engaging in vigorous activity and when practical, should wear face coverings. See Appendix A.
- Non-students, including coaches, medical-related staff, directors, security staff, supervisors, etc. should wear face coverings at all times unless under rigorous activity or poses a health risk.
- Only essential student athletes, student participants, coaches, medical staff, related supervisors, directors, and security should be in attendance.
- Consideration should be given to vulnerable individuals and it is encouraged for those individuals to seek medical guidance regarding his/her individual level of participation.
- An alternate command structure for coaching staff should be established in case of illness.
- Prior to participation, all first-time student athletes are required to have an IHSAA pre-participation physical for the upcoming school year. Returning student athletes are not required to obtain a new IHSAA pre-participation physical, but should provide a 2020-21 IHSAA Health History Update Questionnaire and Consent & Release Certificate prior to participation.
- All students and staff should be trained and screened for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 prior to participating in workouts, rehearsals, or practices.
- Individuals should wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water and soap before touching any surfaces or participating. If this is not possible, hand sanitizer should be plentiful and available to individuals as they transfer from place to place.
- Locker rooms should not be utilized. Students should report to their activity in proper gear and immediately return home to shower at the conclusion. Restrooms should remain available for student athletes and athletic staff, however social distancing is encouraged.
- Gathering sizes should be decreased as much as possible to reduce risk. Workouts should be conducted in defined, smaller groups of students with the same students always together. Reduce gathering size by half capacity in large areas (weight room, band rooms, wrestling rooms, etc.).
- The goal of social distancing is defined by the CDC. If it is not possible to follow these guidelines indoors or outdoors, then create as much distance as possible. It is recommended that participants and coaches wear face coverings when distancing is limited and the individual is not participating in rigorous activity. For sidelines, benches, or other holding areas, consider establishing protocol as a guide for students and coaches. The goal and expectation is no contact.
- Consider scheduling adjustments to reduce the number of events, duration, and/or participants present.
- Cleaning schedules should be created and implemented for all facilities and 19 equipment to mitigate any communicable diseases. Review the plan and supply inventory to thoroughly clean and disinfect prior to and after usage following CDC, EPA, and OSHA guidelines. The plan should be clear on who cleans and appropriate training and PPE is provided for such.
- School activities using off-site, non-school owned facilities and equipment for related activities should work with the off-site facility provider to ensure the associated and relevant safety measures are in place. If transporting to-and-from workouts, rehearsals, or practices, transportation safety measures and cleaning regarding team or group transportation must be followed.
- Appropriate clothing/shoes should be worn at all times to minimize transmission.
- No sharing of clothing, shoes, towels, or water bottles.
- Hand sanitizer should be plentiful and available at all times.
- If equipment must be shared, including sports balls, weight room facilities, non-wind instruments, etc., this equipment should be cleaned prior to use and immediately following usage. Responsibility for cleaning should be clear and appropriate training and PPE should be provided.
- Equipment such as weight benches, athletic pads, etc. having holes with exposed foam should be covered or discarded.
- Students must be expected to shower at home and wash workout clothing immediately upon returning to their home. If a student does not have a laundered uniform, he/she may not be allowed to participate in practice or competition.
- If schools launder student gear or uniforms, PPE must be available for the person in charge of laundering.
- Free weight exercises requiring a spotter cannot be conducted. Safety measures in all forms must be strictly enforced in the weight room.
- For contact sports, no contact is allowed.
- Shared hydration stations (water trough, water fountains, water hose, etc.) should not be utilized except for filling individual, labeled water bottles.
- No formal competition is allowed.
- Pool usage is acceptable. Schools should take necessary steps to promote health and safety both in the water and out by social distancing and using good hygiene.
