Call it the biggest high school sports touchdown of the year in California.
The California Department of Public Health released its weekly coronavirus report on Tuesday, and counties where the adjusted daily case rate reached 14.0 or less per 100,000 are cleared to allow outdoor sports to start on Friday according to the state youth sports update released last week.
The counties that reach the limit in southern California include Los Angeles (12.3), Orange (11.9) and San Luis Obispo (9.4). The counties that have not reached the threshold are Ventura (16.9), San Bernardino (15.2), Riverside (16.6) and Santa Bárbara (16.9). Last week, Los Angeles was at 20.0 and Orange County at 20.7, so the improvement was rapid and gives hope to other counties. The next chance to reach the limit is Tuesday, March 2nd.
It is now up to each school, district and county to decide which sports to allow. For soccer and water polo, weekly tests of athletes and coaches are mandatory, with results available 24 hours after the match in a game.
A Los Angeles County Department of Public Health spokesman said in a statement: “The [LACDPH] uses available science and current data to guide the reopening of sectors, in consultation with the Board of Supervisors. We will consult with the Board of Supervisors to assess state recommendations and the timing of adopting changes to the County Health Officer Order that would allow (contacting) youth sport. “
If LA County defied state recommendations to allow outdoor sports, the outcry in the community would likely be loud and intense.
Most sports competitions have been suspended for 11 months. Cross-country started on January 25 and women’s tennis on Monday. Now others are to come, such as baseball, softball, lacrosse, golf and swimming. Football could start on Saturday in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
“It is throwing us into a frenzy. It’s amazing, ”said West Hills Chaminade athletic director Todd Borowski, who must devise new schedules and determine how he will share his sports facilities six days a week for competitions and training while implementing safety protocols.
A great football game between the private schools Bellflower St. John Bosco and Chatsworth Sierra Canyon is already confirmed on March 12 in St. John Bosco. Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse said he sent a message to all his players with five exclamation points: “We have reached our number. The game started. Wear helmets to practice. “
When will football games begin?
The clock can start on Tuesday towards 14 mandatory practice days, with schools being able to start three days of conditioning before full pad training can begin on Friday. Matches can be played after 10 days of practice. Matches should start from March 11 to 12 or from March 18 to 19, for a season of five or six games that should end on April 17 in the Southern Section.
When a county reaches an adjusted case rate of 14 cases per 100,000, what happens if the cases suddenly increase?
The state warns that “the return to competition status is subject to change at any time, given the broadcast level of COVID-19 in California”, but outdoor sports teams can play and continue playing, regardless of changes in numbers, unless a new stay – the home order is issued by the state or a county decides to impose a stricter directive.
Can students play two sports?
The California Department of Public Health encouraged athletes and coaches to limit participation to a team in the same season or period. The CIF has received confirmation from the CDPH that it is a recommendation, not a mandate. It is up to each school and school district to decide. The CIF rule that limits students to no more than 18 hours of activity per week for school-related sports will apply.
What is the situation with indoor sports?
Some schools are planning to hold outdoor wrestling, basketball and volleyball competitions. The CIF plans to advocate that these sports be resumed indoors using masks if the number of daily cases continues to decline.
Will Los Angeles Unified students be able to play sports this school year?
Supt. Austin Beutner announced on Monday that sports conditioning will resume on campuses next week. This is the first step towards the return of any sport, but he hasn’t changed his stance since November that if it is not safe to be in a classroom, then it is not safe to compete in sports. LAUSD continues in distance learning.
Can schools program an opponent?
No. There are strict guidelines for competition between teams. Both teams must be located in the same municipality or the opponent is located in a neighboring municipality where the sport is authorized to be practiced. Tournaments involving more than two teams are not allowed. This guideline is something that the CIF hopes can be revised, because it would prevent the playoffs from taking place this spring in large sections, such as the Southern Section.