Newport-Mesa Unified’s plan to start summer sports put on hold as state develops COVID-19 guidelines
Newport-Mesa Unified School District was set to begin summer sports this week — with a slew of coronavirus protections and precautions in place — but officials now say the athletic programs will be postponed until the state issues guidelines for youth sports.
“Regretfully, our plan to reopen athletics must be put on hold at this time,” the district said in a news release Tuesday. “Until there is specific guidance provided by [the California Department of Public Health] regarding recreational team sports or school-based sports, Orange County school districts have been advised not to operate summer youth sports programs.”
Newport-Mesa Unified, home to Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Estancia and Newport Harbor high schools, initially indicated in a June 25 online notice summer sports programs would begin Monday with face coverings, physical distancing and temperature checks, among other modifications. That program was to be “voluntary and based on parental discretion.”
That announcement followed a June 15 news release from the Orange County Board of Supervisors stating, while games and events would continue to be prohibited, sports teams would be allowed to practice in accordance with protocols outlined in the state’s industry guidelines for day camps.
“I advocated for a safe return to youth activities because playing sports is a fantastic way to build character, in addition to burning off the past months’ pent-up energy,” Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner said in the June statement. “The state’s guidance is the next big step to bringing O.C. back to normal.”
But last week, as state officials tightened restrictions on gatherings and group activities in counties, including Orange, with observed spikes in infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations, the fate of youth sports seemed to hang in the balance.
Wednesday’s order applies to 19 counties where virus infections and hospitalizations have surged. In Orange County, 570 new infections and 542 hospitalizations were reported.
Legal counsel with the Orange County Department of Education weighed in on Monday after receiving queries from school district superintendents about summer athletics and reaching out directly to state health officials through an essential services inquiry.
“CDPH has confirmed that at this time, youth sports, including conditioning activities, are not permitted,” General Counsel Jeffrey Riel wrote in a letter to district leaders, indicating the health department was working on, but had not released, guidelines specific to youth sports.
“Until there is specific guidance provided by CDPH regarding recreational team sports or school-based sports, school districts are well advised not to operate summer youth sports programs,” Riel continued.
While no one at the Sacramento-based health agency would speak in an interview, officials confirmed Riel’s conclusion in an email to the Daily Pilot.
“At this time, no state guidance has been issued for youth sports or recreational team sports, therefore those activities are not allowed at this time,” the email read.
Nearby Huntington Beach Union High School District spokeswoman Cheryl McKenzie confirmed Tuesday no plans had yet been made to offer summer athletics. Edison, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Marina, Ocean View and Westminster high schools are part of the district.
At Costa Mesa’s Estancia High School, athletic director Nate Goellrich said about 75% of the teams on campus — which comprise more than 500 students — had been trained and briefed and were ready to go when news of the postponement broke.
“We had plenty of cleaning supplies provided by the district, we all had hand sanitizer — we felt pretty confident we’d have a smooth operation,” he said, describing small workout groups and a deep cleaning regimen. “Putting a pause on it is gut-wrenching, but I understand why it happened.”
One silver lining, Goellrich said, is that the school’s preparation will put it at an advantage whenever the state guidelines for school sports are developed.
“Now we’re in a prime position to start once we have a green light. We already have a plan, so I feel we’re ahead of the curve and ready to start,” he said.
Costa Mesa High School Principal Jake Haley said most coaches and athletic staff were trained on Thursday to implement the new protocol this week. Athletes were to be broken into smaller cohort groups to limit exposure and a strict regimen had been developed.
The campus was planning to hold water polo practice on Monday at 6 a.m. and then bring the cheer and football teams to the field on Tuesday when word came from the district over the weekend to hold off for now.
“Every sport submitted a plan to us of what their safety plans were going to look like. Then the information changed,” Haley said. “I think pressing pause was the right thing to do — we all want a return to athletics, but we need to make sure we’re going about it to have all the accurate information we can to go ahead safely.”
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