by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Over the last several months’ life as we know it has been changing and evolving, including the lives of the Loveland High School Student-Athletes. Coaches, Parents, and Spectators have been waiting patiently to see if and when the Fall 2020-2021 sports seasons will begin and what the stipulations will be due to the rampant COVID-19 Pandemic.

On Wednesday, July 22nd, Bob Goldring, the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s (OHSAA) Interim Executive Director, issued updated guidelines and “COVID-19 Return to Play Recommendations.”

In the new guidelines, Goldring and the OHSAA team emphasized that participation in school activities is voluntary. Goldring and the OHSAA team stated that every individual will need to evaluate the risk versus the benefits of athletics participation.

“Those immunocompromised students and staff, or those who live with family members with elevated health concerns, should evaluate associated risks of participation and may choose not to participate,” OHSAA said.

The OHSAA Executive Director’s Office, the Office’s Official Board of Directors, the Ohio Joint Advisory Committee on Sports Medicine, and the National Federation of State High School Associations, joined forces to help write an updated “COVID-19 Return to Play” document. The document includes recommendations on how member schools can consider approaching the many components of “opening up” sports with the objective of commencing the fall sports seasons on August 1.

“The recommendations within this document for the resumption of the varsity, non-varsity and 7th-8th grade interscholastic athletic seasons and participation opportunities have been made with the health, safety, and well-being of all student-athletes in mind,” the OHSAA document said.

Below are some of the topics the OHSAA document covers:

Game Day Face Masks/Coverings

Sidelines and Benches

Game Day Venue Restrictions and Spectators

COVID-19 Pre-Participation Screening

Failed Screening or Positive COVID-19 Test Action Plan

Positive Test – Action Plan

If You Had Close Contact With an Infected Person

Contest-Day Screening Procedures

Game Day Event Staff

Concessions

Athletic Training Room and Locker Rooms

Travel Considerations The following items are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

The following is the complete document from OHSAA stating the “COVID-19 Return to Play Recommendations” that was issued on Wednesday, July 22nd.

For more of the latest updates on the OHSAA and Loveland High School Sports stay tuned to the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!