Chapel Hill, North Carolina – The Board of Directors of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association voted and approved a plan for the second phase of their resumption of sports training.
Phase two, which the NCHSAA will allow schools to move to on August 3, will not change the number of athletes allowed to participate in training, but will allow the use of some shared equipment, such as balls. Social distancing must be maintained.
The use of protective equipment is still prohibited and the equipment must be disinfected frequently. Disinfecting equipment is required between use by different groups of athletes.
What is different from phase one?
- Specific sports equipment, such as balls, may be used. All sports equipment, including balls, should be cleaned frequently and before use by another capsule. Previously, no shared computer was allowed.
- If it is necessary to take a student to an athletic training room, a licensed athletic trainer must be present and then proper disinfection must be performed. Athletes were not allowed in training rooms unless it was an emergency.
What is the same?
- Adequate cleaning schedules are still required. Hand sanitizer should be readily available. Students are encouraged to bathe and wash clothes immediately after returning home.
- Workouts remain limited to 90 minutes per session.
- External meetings are limited to 25 people. Gym meetings are limited to 10 people. The meetings include athletes, coaches, managers, coaches, etc.
- Pre-workout symptoms and temperature checks are still necessary.
- Coaches, staff, and managers must maintain a social distance of six feet and are strongly encouraged to cover their faces at all times. Athletes are strongly encouraged to cover their faces when not physically active.
- Team travel is not allowed during phase two.
- Do not share water bottles. Hydration stations cannot be used by individuals.
- The changing rooms are closed.
- Weight rooms and mats remain closed. Weights, mats, and other equipment can be moved outdoors if they are 12 feet apart. Weights and mats should be disinfected between each use. Observers must wear a mask.
- Spectators are not allowed.
- Do not share towels, clothes, shoes or other sports clothing.
To view the complete guidelines and guidelines for specific sports, click here.
HighSchoolOT has learned that NCHSAA will host a webinar on Thursday morning with athletic directors from schools across the state. The goal of the webinar is to help answer any questions that school administrators have about the current plan for sports resumption.
Whether or not schools and teams are allowed to participate in summer training depends on the individual school districts. According to HighSchoolOT data, 42.6% of NCHSAA member schools have resumed training, while 55.8% remain closed.
On June 15, NCHSAA allowed its member schools to resume limited summer training under the guidance of phase one, which was restrictive and did not allow the use of any shared equipment. NCHSAA has operated in phase one since that date.
Last week, the NCHSAA announced that the official start of the fall sports season would be delayed from August 1, until at least September 1.
The phased approach to resuming sports activities has been developed by the NCHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. There is no information on what the guidelines will look like for phase three or when the third phase may be effective.
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