UIL gives go ahead to resume athletic activities Monday with less restrictions
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
After about a two-week shutdown resulting from increased COVID-19 cases in Texas, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) will allow workouts to resume on Monday with some updated requirements.
Access to locker rooms will now be allowed with special protocol that must be followed, as well as drills involving multiple players (ex. offense vs defense drills). Face coverings (Executive Order GA-29) are mandatory except for those actively exercising. Any guests visiting the workouts are also required to use a face covering. Students, staff and visitors 10 years of age or older must wear face covering when entering and exiting facilities and practice areas.
“I knew (the UIL’s) plan the entire time was to play and they’re going to give us every opportunity to do that,” Copperas Cove athletic director and head football coach said in a recent interview with SicEm365 Radio. “This is good news. There are a few things we’re going to have to address and face mask wearing is one, but it’s really, really good news.”
Hammett is just one of many coaches in the Copperas Cove ISD and across the state that have to adjust to the new normal.
“We did distance workouts for what seemed like forever,” said Hammett. “When they let us come back in June, we had over 420 kids show up, that’s how hungry they were. We’re just super excited for the next step and to be able to do some competitive drills.”
The “Period of no Activity” scheduled for July 20-21 has also been rescinded.
Water and food are still not to be shared and no clothing or towels can be laundered on site.
If a member of staff, student or visitor is confirmed to have COVID-19 or experience the symptoms of the virus, they must stay home throughout the infection period and cannot return to campus until being screened by the school system to determine if the required conditions have been met.
Two-a-days are slated to begin in less than a month and the 2020 football season is set to begin with scrimmages the weekend of Aug. 20 and the season to open the weekend of August 27. No one is sure if it will be with mostly empty stadiums, with social distancing measures or if it will happen at all.
The UIL update comes on the heels of all Ivy League college athletics cancelled for the fall and Stanford eliminating 11 of their 36 athletic programs.
For a complete breakdown of the UIL requirements visit: https://www.uiltexas.org/athletics/covid-19-strength-conditioning-2020.