Highland coaches, AD ready to resume athletics under IHSA’s COVID-19 guidelines

Highland High School fall athletes will soon be able to get in weight room work with coaches.

Thanks to the IHSA approval of Return to Play guidelines announced Friday, the Bulldogs fall teams can soon participate in Phase One conditioning work.

“It’s a step in the right direction and really it’s definitely err on the side of safety for sure,” Highland Athletic Director Amy Boscolo said. “The fact that our coaches can now start getting with our kids is just really important for our coaches and our kids. We’ve been away without sports for a long, long time and this is just the first step in getting us where we need to be.”

IHSA member schools may not conduct workouts under the return to play guidelines unless they have local school district approval and are currently located in a health region currently in Phase 3 (or better) under Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan.

For Bulldogs coaches such as head football coach Jimmy Warnecke, the return to play guidelines approval came at great time just as summer is approaching.

“My coaching staff and I are really excited,” Warnecke said. “We met with the kids (Sunday night) and I can tell you this from a players standpoint talking with a lot of the players, they just want to be with their teammates again. We’re excited.”

Another coach looking forward to getting back to workouts with athletes is Bulldogs cross country and track coach Doug Bradley. Having to be a virtual coach was not something Bradley found enjoyable or fulfilling. He is definitely glad to get things going with his cross-country runners.

“It’s been since the middle of March the last time I was able to coach a kid, so I’m beyond excited,” Bradley said. “It will be good to see their faces and it will be good to see the work they‘ve been doing and I’m really looking forward to the first opportunity that I get to see the kids.”

The IHSA Phase One Return to Play Guidelines emphasize outdoor over indoor workouts. Students are limited to three hours a day of participation.

IHSA requirements for workouts

Here are the requirements that must be followed when conducting voluntary strength and conditioning workouts.

• Maintain social distance by being 6 feet apart.

• Masks shall be worn when social distance cannot be maintained.

• Follow gathering guidelines of groups of 10 or less including the coach and medical personnel.

• Groups of 10 or less must be pre-determined

.• Once groups are determined, students may not switch from one group to another based upon sport. Students that participate in multiple sports for the year are encouraged to be grouped, for summer participation, in their fall sport.

• Interaction between groups shall be avoided.

• Sessions can only include weightlifting, running, and exercises designed to promote physical fitness.

• Sport-specific drills are not permitted, and sport-specific equipment may not be used.

• Implement diligent and effective cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched objects and surfaces following the guidance of the CDC and IDPH.

• Coaches must maintain a daily record of what athletes are participating, when, symptoms they may present (see attachment).o Athletes should be monitored at start of practice for temperature >100.4F/37C or symptoms of COVID-19 (fevers, chills, cough, muscle aches,headache, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell).o If symptoms are present they should not participate in practice and should be referred to a physician for evaluation and testing.

• Free weight exercises that require a spotter cannot be conducted while honoring social distancing norms. Safety measures in all forms must be strictly enforced in the weight room.

• Players shall bring their own water bottle, shoes, towels, and other personal equipment. The use of locker rooms, shared water coolers with cups, and water fountains will be prohibited during this stage.

Bradley noted all the sports will be challenged to maintain social distancing and proper health protocols with the return to play program.

“Every sport is going to have some challenges as we go forward with this thing,” Bradley said.

The hope is for fall sports to return on time

Warneke is hopeful the Return to Play Guidelines allow the coaches and athletes to return to full participation in their fall sports in a timely fashion.

“I hope that the IHSA understands and puts a common sense approach to this (situation),” Warneke said.

Boscolo said all the coaches know the guidelines must be followed.

“All of our coaches know they have to follow the guidelines or it could possibly risk them not having their sport start on time, so the coaches are really positive and thankful they get that opportunity to start and they are ready to follow any policy that’s put forth,” Boscolo said.

Boscolo met with the coaches to put together a plan of action for Phase One. Bradley, Warneke, and the Highland coaches will share plans with their athletes late this week.