Santa Cruz City Schools, San Lorenzo Valley Unified, Scotts Valley Unified, and Pajaro Valley Unified recognize that athletics is an integral part of the high school experience, positively contributing to students’ physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Proper training and conditioning are essential in order to provide a safe and healthy environment. In collaboration with the County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League (SCCAL), and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), all four PK-12 school districts have developed the following outdoor facility use guidelines for athletics summer conditioning. This document was developed using the California Interscholastic Federation’s Return to Physical Activity/Training Guidelines, and the California Department of Education Stronger Together Reopening Guide. These documents provide guidance that allows student-athletes to condition and develop skills while following physical distancing guidelines. Following the guidelines established below, beginning the week of July 6, 2020, athletic conditioning/workouts will be permitted providing all guidelines are followed. All coaches must provide a health screening plan, and sanitation protocol before conditioning sessions may begin. Any component that is not adhered to will jeopardize ongoing summer conditioning at the school site or across the individual school district.
General Guidelines
● Offering summer conditioning will be completely optional; no coach will be required to offer these conditioning sessions (Some teams will be unable to comply with health guidelines)
● This proposal allows cleared coaches and student-athletes to access school site fields, pools, and tracks for a set period of time each day following guidelines.
● Each school site will collaborate with administration to develop detailed Athletics Summer Plan, dependent upon each school’s layout and conditioning times and sports that are appropriate for their campus o Document cohorts of coaches and student-athletes, conditioning times, identified main check-in area, conditioning zones, and restrooms o Recommended conditioning times: 60-minute sessions with 15 minutes of transition time to ensure no overlapping
● Coaches will wear face coverings at all times; student-athletes should wear face coverings to and from practice and when not able to physically distance (6 feet apart)
● No shared ball or equipment of any kind is allowed during workouts
● The weight room and other indoor facilities will not be available
● All students shall bring their own water bottles; water bottles or other drinking containers must not be shared. Multi-person hydration stations will not be utilized during workouts
● Hand-washing/Sanitizing stations to be used at identified areas, including centralized check-in, restrooms, and throughout outdoor spaces/zones, as necessary
● All students will bring their own towels and will ensure that their athletic wear has been cleaned on a regular basis
● All coaches and students should be screened for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 prior to each workout, with screening to include temperature checks.
● The screening will be conducted in and by each cohort.
● Coaches must wear face coverings or shields at all times.
● Strict adherence to the 6 ft. minimum spacing of all participants.
● All recommended hygiene practices will be followed.
● Parents must sign permission slips for their student-athletes to participate.
● Workouts may be up to four days per week – Monday through Thursday – not to exceed 1 hour per workout.
● Cohorts must enter and exit during assigned times. No gatherings will be allowed.
● Workouts may consist of skill development and/or conditioning. Under no circumstances can there be drills involving physical contact.
● The weight rooms and locker rooms will not be available.
● Only designated restrooms will be used.
● Swimmers must swim in single lanes.
● Runners must run in single lanes while maintaining the 6 ft distance between runners. ● Coaches must sanitize all equipment after each cohort completes their workout.
● If any member of a cohort is diagnosed with COVID-19, the cohort is immediately suspended and all members are placed on a 10 to 14 day quarantine. FERPA individual privacy rules apply.
Superintendents: Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, PVUSD Kris Munro, SCCS Tanya Krause, SVUSD Laurie Bruton, SLVUSD
For more details and the full list of required conditions, contact your School administrator or check out the school website.
