Irvine school district decides to postpone start of high school athletic camps to July 6

Irvine football coach Tom Ricci talks to quarterback Beck Moss during a summer league game in 2019. (File photo courtesy Harrison Zhang, For OC Sports Zone)

Irvine Unified School District officials decided Tuesday to push back the start of high school athletic camps to Monday, July 6, to prepare for implementing safety guidelines that will be required.

The camps had been been tentatively scheduled to start on Monday, June 22, but officials indicated there was a chance they could be moved back. High school athletics in the state have been on hold since the coronavirus pandemic began in March.

“While guidelines for opening schools from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Education (CDE) were released this past Friday and Monday, the Orange County Health Agency (OCHA) guidelines have yet to be released,” said Mark Cunningham, IUSD Athletic Director.

“To allow sufficient time to review the forthcoming guidance from OCHA and implement new safety protocols, we are moving the start date for our athletic camps to July 6.  We look forward to welcoming back our student athletes at that time.” 

Cunningham said Monday that all safety precautions will need to be in place, including social distancing, face coverings and possibly temperature checks during the camps.

The decision by Irvine district officials comes one day after the state department of education issued guidelines for the re-opening of schools with only a brief mention of athletics. The guidelines included a note that said athletics would be limited to “activities that do not involve physical contact with other students or equipment until advised otherwise by state/local public health officials.”

That would requre all coaches to come up with a plan that doesn’t include physical contact during the camps, which are typically used to prepare squads for the fall season. No timetable has been determined for the start of fall sports throughout the CIF Southern Section.

High schools in the Irvine district include Portola, Northwood, Irvine, Woodbridge and University.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com