LAUSD has tentative plans for sports conditioning to begin Nov. 2

Athletes and coaches in the Los Angeles Unified School District would be allowed to begin voluntary sports conditioning at school sports facilities on Nov. 2, according to tentative plans released Thursday by athletics coordinator Trent Cornelius during a videoconference with athletic directors.

Athletes and coaches would have to pass a mandated COVID-19 test to be allowed on campus. Coaches would be able to hold tryouts and conditioning for all sports using fields and outdoor courts if the plan is approved by LAUSD.

Cornelius warned the athletic directors that his presentation was a “preview, not necessarily the action plan that is ready to be rolled out.”

Coaches and athletes have been barred from getting together since March, so the presentation showed a level of optimism that the resumption of sports workouts could be a month away.

One major obstacle is overcoming transportation restrictions. The CIF sports season is officially set to begin with practices on Dec. 14 for football and other fall sports, but Cornelius said a maximum of 13 passengers can be allowed on a bus for a game. He said, “We know if that doesn’t change I don’t know how we’ll have athletics.”

Los Angeles County is in the state’s purple tier for COVID-19 and will need to improve for that social distancing measure to be revised.

Coaches will not be paid for holding tryouts or conditioning sessions next month because they are voluntary. The City Section is using summer rules, which means it’s up to individual schools how they want to run their sports programs until the official season begins in December.