FHSAA Sport-by-Sport COVID-19 Guidelines
There is no doubt that the the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down this year. Schools and universities, especially, have been greatly affected by the complications this global health crisis has created and are struggling with a number of difficult decisions as the fall semester gets under way. But one question in particular is especially important to Americans: What will sports look like this year?
Virtually everything is taking place online now. But many places are striving to make athletics happen this year, all while prioritizing the health and safety of their communities. The state of Florida is no exception.
Over the summer, the FHSAA voted to postpone the start date of preseason until Aug. 24. Since then, high school sports have kicked off in Florida but with careful protocols for maintaining safe and healthy environments for both training and competition.
Although football is high-contact, the FHSAA has created protocols for the sport to safely continue this season. Players are required to wear masks on and off the field. In addition, players are required to maintain a distance of 6 feet from each other whenever they are participating in weightlifting or conditioning. New locker room procedures have also been implemented to limit the number of people in them at a time and to keep the shared space clean.
The FHSAA also recently released a series of rules and regulations on its website that detail sanitization procedures specific to winter sports as the winter season gets underway. Sports such as weightlifting that involve a great deal of equipment have a much longer list of procedures. These outline the best way to wash one’s hands and the best way to properly sanitize equipment before and after use. Another high-contact sport, wrestling, is requiring all participating athletes’ temperatures to be checked regularly at competitions.
Other sports are also encouraging athletes to wear face masks and to maintain a distance of 6 feet at practices and competitions whenever possible. In addition, spectators will not be allowed at most competitions. Parents are encouraged to help their athletes keep their equipment and apparel clean between athletic events to avoid any cross-contamination.
While all of these rules suggest that the high school sports season will be quite different this year, it is still possible to enjoy sports safely. The FHSAA will continue to televise competitions using the NFHS Network. While it is certainly not the same as attending a competition in person, you can still cheer on your favorite teams and athletes this way. Make sure to do your part to keep your community safe. Wear your mask in public spaces, keep your distance, wash your hands, and stay positive. We will get through this together.
To see a complete list of state-by-state regulations regarding high school sports and COVID-19, please visit the following link:
https://www.ncsasports.org/coronavirus-sports/high-school- sports-coronavirus
Written by: Elizabeth Levy
