Coronavirus: NCHSAA advances to next phase; Bladen County athletes still prohibited from workouts

ELIZABETHTOWN — Athletic directors and principals at East Bladen and West Bladen high schools are being consulted for input on the state association’s decision to move to a second phase of resuming activities Aug. 3.

For now, Bladen County Schools prohibits athletes from coming together in team gatherings to work out or condition. The N.C. High School Athletic Association, since June 15, has permitted such workouts with a number of stringent rules — no sharing of equipment being primary among them.

The county school district is also not going to allow students in grades 9-12 onto campus for classes before Oct. 23, according to a schedule it released last week. The NCHSAA has pushed back the traditional Aug. 1 official start date for fall practices to Sept. 1; no new date has been set for games, which previously was Aug. 17 for most sports and set up most football openers to arrive on Aug. 21.

Dr. Robert Taylor, the superintendent, said he anticipates a review of the county’s current guidelines this week. In an email exchange with the Bladen Journal, he said the NCHSAA’s information has been shared with Dr. Robert Heavenridge, the county athletics director; Patty Evers and Travis Pait, athletics directors at East Bladen and West Bladen, respectively; and Dr. Jason Wray and Dr. Peggy Hester, principals at East and West, respectively.

“Hopefully, this is something they will address this week,” Taylor wrote.

The NCHSAA, in a release Wednesday, said its Board of Directors voted on Thursday of last week to make the change. In some sports, there is no change. Notable among the differences are sharing of equipment within small groups or pods; and licensed athletics trainers or first responders are not required but are heavily recommended.

The association still does not permit protective equipment to be worn, and equipment disinfection must still be done frequently including in between uses by “another pod.”

Social distancing is mentioned for all sports.

Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order taking effect June 26 requiring face coverings for everyone in North Carolina whether inside or outside. The NCHSAA’s second phase encourages but does not require that executive order to be met by coaches, staff and managers during workouts.

The following are rules requirements by sport for those played by East Bladen and West Bladen:

• Football: No change related to protective equipment; it still can’t be worn. There’s also no contact between players. Players can share equipment, but only within small groups or pods. This includes throwing and handing off the football, and using hitting pads and shields — all of which must be disinfected between groups.

• Soccer: There is no change for prohibitions on heading the ball, use of hands or contact. In a change, balls can be shared within pods or small groups, but must be disinfected between use by each.

• Volleyball: In a change, balls can be shared within pods or small groups, but must be disinfected between use by each.

• Cross country: No changes. Runners must maintain 6 feet of distance between individuals; no grouping at starts or finishes.

• Tennis: As written, guidance appears to say no doubles play but singles play is fine. Specifically, the instruction of the NCHSAA reads, “Limit sharing of balls; each player may use own can of balls to serve and uses racket to pass other balls (singles only), ball machine use by individuals only. Wipe down rackets and balls after. Must maintain 6 feet physical distancing.”

• Golf: No changes. Maintain 6 feet of distance.

• Baseball: Dugouts remain closed. Changed is the allowance of shared balls and bats within small groups or pods; gloves sharing was restricted in the first phase but is not mentioned in the second. Disinfecting the equipment must happen between uses by each group or pod.

• Softball: Dugouts remain closed. Changed is the allowance of shared balls and bats within small groups or pods; gloves sharing was restricted in the first phase but is not mentioned in the second. Disinfecting the equipment must happen between uses by each group or pod.

• Basketball: There remains no contact between players. In a change, balls can be shared within pods or small groups, but must be disinfected between use by each.

• Cheerleading: No change in conditioning and individual technique or choreography work allowed. There’s still no partner or group stunts. And chants, jumps, dance and tumbling without contact can be done but must have 6-foot social distance. New is that if sharing mats, it must be disinfected after each individual stunt.