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Local school districts reopen strength and conditioning programs

Posted at 12:30 PM, Jul 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-14 16:37:50-04

This could be what the future of sports will look like for the foreseeable future: masks on at all times unless you are actively working out.

Calallen is one of the local school districts that decided to reopen their summer strength and conditioning programs in accordance to the new UIL guidelines that were released last week.

These programs are going above and beyond to make sure coaches and athletes stay safe.

"We do temperature checks everday," Calallen head football coach and athletic director, Phil Danaher said. "Each Monday they bring in a COVID screening form that their parents have to fill out."

Upon first arriving, athletes are required to wear their facemasks until the workouts begin. Coaches are required to wear the masks at all times.

Odem is another school district that will resume their program this week. The decision behind their reopening stems from the belief their athletes are safer under their supervision.

"We found out our kids are going other places to lift anyways," Odem head football coach and athletic director Armando Huerta said. "They were going to local gyms and we felt that it was safer to keep them in Odem in smaller groups."

Just like most public spaces, the camps are hoping to keep things as clean as possible and keep the threat of the coronavirus to a bare minimum.

"We want to remove any possible contamination at the door," Huerta said.

This is a massive test to see if football can be played come this fall. With two a days under a month away, Coach Danaher hopes this proves to be the safest way to get his players back on the field.

"They need that opportunity to participate," he said. "It's kind of sad if they don't get in."

And nothing is set in stone for the 2020 school year either. No decisions have been made in regards to bringing students back to campuses in August. This could be a test run for some schools, but it varies depending on the size of their student body.

"I think we can show it's doable but we are a small school," Huerta said.