By Munpal and Munraj Bal
High School sports were all shut down following the global COVID-19 pandemic, however with the country’s recent progression out of the shutdown phase and into a less stringent defense strategy, some schools have been able to open their athletic programs back up.
A prime example of how to safely and cautiously reopen athletic programs is the system set up by McKinney Independent School District (MISD) in north Texas. MISD is the home to three public high schools, all with 2,000-plus students. Two of which fall into the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) district 5 of the 6A conference (the most competitive sports conference in the state). Both of these schools (McKinney High School and McKinney Boyd High school) offer the Performance Course training program for their student-athletes every summer.
Athletes like McKinney Boyd senior Edwin Harris, Jr. are thrilled to get back to work.
Boyd senior Edwin Harris, Jr. Photo by Munpal and Munraj Bal.
“I’m so excited to get to see my teammates and friends,” Harris said. “Although I am around a lot more people, the coaches at PC do a good job of making sure it is as safe as can be. I don’t think I could mimic what is currently going on at PC.”
The Performance Course is one of the most complete programs an athlete can participate in to prepare for the rigors of college athletics. However, with the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Performance Course has had to make some changes to their routine program as a means to keep all athletes safe from the virus.
Being one of the first amateur athletic programs to be opened again in the country, the Performance Course in MISD has a lot of pressure to successfully protect all athletes. The Performance Course ensures the safety of all student-athletes by following this strict protocol:
- All athletes must fill out a COVID-19 waiver form before participating, and all athletes must answer a daily COVID-19 questionnaire.
- Check-in Procedure
- Aforementioned COVID-19 daily questionnaire.
- There is only one route that families can take to drop off their athletes, immediately once an athlete is dropped off, their temperature is checked by a coach, and required to use hand sanitizer. All athletes cannot enter together, they must line up 6ft apart as they enter the training facility.
- Grouping
- Once an athlete enters, they go directly to their assigned “pod.”
- A pod is a group of three athletes who complete all exercises together to ensure close contact is limited.
- Athletes are initially seated in groups that contain 2-3 pods, in seats that are all marked to be 6ft apart from one another.
- The weight room is at 50 percent capacity, and the rest of the athletes do their workout in another facility.
- Once an athlete enters, they go directly to their assigned “pod.”
- Workout Precautions
- In between lifts, every bar and all plates are sprayed with disinfectant and wiped down before the next athlete can start.
- When moving from one station to the following athletes must walk in a single file line 6ft apart
- When doing a cardiovascular activity(i.e., running on a football field), all pods are separated by five yards (6 feet is only 2 yards). Each pod member is spaced out by approximately 1-2 yards.
- During calisthenic/bodyweight workouts, athletes remain in there attendance seats where they are 6 feet apart from one another and more than 6 feet apart from other pods.
- Other Safety Precautions
- If a member of a pod has any symptoms, the entire pod will be sent home.
- Athletes must bring their own water and bags since all locker rooms are shut down to prevent close contact.
- If an athlete runs out of water, they must notify a coach or athletic trainer to fill their bottle.
- No body contact
- e., no high fives, fist bumps, etc.
- If an athlete is more than 15 minutes late, they will not be allowed into the facility.
During these struggling times, the McKinney Independent School District has been a great pioneer for all other school districts, showing that it is possible to maintain safety regulations and ensure athletic progress for their students. Being in such a competitive District, it is imperative that all athletes improve and continue to get faster and stronger. Now, this school district is getting a head start over all else.