High school athletes across the state will be allowed back to their schools to resume training for the upcoming fall season beginning on June 15.
The NC High School Athletic Association on Monday announced that is lifting the dead period for athletic activities that has been in place since mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The NCHSAA staff has been working closely with the NCHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee on recommendations for member schools regarding summer activities that align with (NC Department of Health and Human Services) directives,” the governing body for state high school sports said in a statement.
NCSAA commissioner Que Tucker said in a Zoom call with the media last month that the resumption of athletic activities would be done in a “delibrate” manner and would be based on “good decisions” depending on the improvement of conditions statewide.
As such, the reopening of school facilities will be done in phases, similar to those already announced by college athletic programs.
Phase One allows athletes to train in small groups in no-contact activities with coaching help, observing “frequent, effective hand hygiene; social distancing of at least six feet; disinfecting of high touch areas and avoiding touching of the face.” Symptomatic individuals or individuals with exposure to COVID-19 within the past 14 days must not participate.
The NCHSAA will monitor the situation and consider all available information before moving from phase to
phase.
Tucker said last month that the ultimate goal of her organization is “to do everything in our power to protect the health and safety of student-athletes, our coaches and our communities.” While she remained optimistic that football would be played this year in North Carolina — with or without fans in the stands — it was too early to know when it might start and what the season would look like.
