By CLAIRE CRUZ and STEFAN MODRICH, Staff Writers
Along with releasing updated sports calendars, the University Interscholastic League presented modified “risk mitigation guidelines” for extracurricular activities Tuesday.
All guidelines will be in effect starting Aug. 1 and can change based on the public health situation. The UIL is recommending “that each school identify a staff member or group of staff members to serve as compliance officer(s) to oversee effective use” of the protocols and requirements issued.
Brownsville ISD athletic director Gilbert Leal believes the coaching staffs and student-athletes across the Rio Grande Valley are up to the task of following all necessary safety protocols to make sure sports can return, citing the summer strength and conditioning programs as proof.
“We’re probably the only group of educators in the Rio Grande Valley that actually met this face-to-face with our strength and conditioning before the students came back to campus, so if there’s anyone that’s ahead of the game in the Valley, it’s the coaching staffs,” Leal said.
Lyford athletic director Israel Gonzalez said he felt the protocols the Bulldogs had in place for their summer strength and conditioning program, including extra hand washing, sanitizing stations and maintaining a 10-foot distance between participants instead of the recommended six feet, helped him feel confident that the program can resume activities safely when the Willacy County order permits schools to resume instruction after Sept. 21.
Face coverings or shields are mandatory for all employees, parents, visitors and students at least 10 years old at all UIL activities unless they’re actively participating in the contest, eating or drinking, medically unable to wear a mask or practicing social distancing of at least six feet.
All schools are required to have a plan for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Schools also must require all staff to self-screen for coronavirus symptoms, including taking their temperature, before they assist with any UIL activities.
Visitors must be screened to determine if they have COVID-19 symptoms or have come in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus before they’re “allowed access to areas where UIL activities are being conducted.” If the school determines an individual fails the screening criteria, they can be denied entry.
The UIL did not expand or change any guidelines for identifying or handling COVID-19 cases, and Rio Hondo athletic director Rocky James said the guidance seems to leave much of the decision-making up to the districts in the event that an athlete tests positive or is showing symptoms.
“The UIL didn’t want to answer the question,” James said. “In the (hypothetical) case of, what do you do if your quarterback comes out positive? Do you shut down your whole offense, since he was around them? Do you quarantine for 14 days? Each school district is going to have to take it upon themselves to handle these types of questions.”
Other things schools can decide for themselves are whether to allow fans to contests and if they’ll allow student groups like marching bands, cheerleaders, drill teams, etc. to perform. The UIL only ordered a maximum fan capacity of 50 percent of a venue’s limitation.
Leal expressed confidence in the personnel at Sams Memorial Stadium to follow all safety guidelines should fans be allowed at sporting events, though he said it’s too early to give a definitive answer on whether spectators will be allowed.
“We had our in-person graduations this June, so as far as our stadium staff and personnel, police force and all that … that gave us good practice as far as what we’ll need to do to handle our safety protocols here at the stadium,” Leal said. “We’ve had it in effect so we can handle that, it’s not going to be an issue. We very rarely reached 50 percent capacity anyway at our stadium, so we should be able to handle all the BISD games here very comfortably if we do allow that, so I’m not anticipating we’ll have to do anything drastic here.”
Harlingen CISD athletic director Robert Davies also said he’s hopeful that Harlingen High and Harlingen South fans will have the opportunity to cheer on their teams, but he’s not guaranteeing it will happen. HCISD administration will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and work on implementing “great safety protocols” to keep everyone healthy.
“We want to find a way to get fans to our stands. That may require a mask, that may require a lot of other things, but I think in the long run those are small inconveniences to be able to watch your child play or watch your home team play,” Davies said.
Gonzalez said Lyford’s graduation was a good opportunity to have a test-run for the return of fans to high school sports in the fall.
“I thought we did a good job at our graduation in Lyford,” Gonzalez said. “We social distanced, we went out into the stadium and made sure that family units were able to sit together in no more than groups of three or four, and we made sure there was enough spacing in between. The community cooperated really well.”
Ultimately, coaches and athletic directors feel community cooperation will be a big key in having sports return and safely having fans in the stands when they do.
“It’s not going to be perfect, but we’re going to do everything we can to have athletics in the fall because I believe it’s critical in the development of our kids,” Davies said “It’s more than what you see on game day. It’s the investment and the impressions and the lessons that kids get from participating in extracurricular activities, and not just athletics, but in the band, cheerleaders, everybody.”