Irvine Valley athletes beginning training soon to prepare for planned 2021 seasons

Irvine Valley College athletic officials announced Wednesday that Laser sports programs are scheduled to be some of the first among community colleges in California to have student-athletes back on campus and training for planned spring seasons in 2021. 

The planned date for return on campus for conditioning with Irvine Valley student athletes is Monday, Oct. 19.

College and high school athletics have been shut down since March in California becasue of the coronavirus pandemic. State and county health officials would have to give final approval for competition to begin.

Protocols and guidelines have been put in place and will be followed with coaches and staff, including daily, before training check ins, temperature readings before being allowed to participate and social distancing measures.

Classes and workouts will be restricted to those that are directly related to Intercollegiate Athletics.

Irvine Valley instructional content will allow for conditioning and activities to prepare and condition Irvine Valley student athletes that are enrolled in fall sport specific team classes for California Community College Athletic Association Spring 2021 competition within full compliance of state, county and city guidelines. 

With the guidance of the South Orange County Community College District, Irvine Valley campus leadership and IVC athletics sport staff, Laser student-athletes look forward to being back on campus safely and working toward competing again soon.

The California Community College Athletic Association announced in July that it will be implementing a return to competition for student athletes beginning in 2021. 

“The California Community College Athletic Association Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved implementation of its Contingency Plan in July, providing a return to intercollegiate athletics for the 2020-21 academic year that shifts all sports, including football, to the spring season,” according to a release on the CCCAA website.

 The Contingency Plan affects the 11 IVC intercollegiate athletic sports, including women’s and men’s basketball, women’s and men’s soccer, women’s and men’s volleyball, women’s and men’s tennis, women’s badminton women’s beach volleyball and baseball.

Coaches of the programs include Jule Hanks (women’s basketball), Jerry Hernandez (men’s basketball), Joe Supe (women’s soccer), Martin McGrogan (men’s soccer), Ryan Windisch (women’s and men’s volleyball), Martin McGrogan (women’s badminton), Tom Pestolesi (women’s beach volleyball) Kent Madole (baseball) and Ross Duncan (men’s and women’s tennis).

Men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball are scheduled to be played in the first spring session from Feb. 5, 2021 to April 17, 2021 with women’s badminton, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s volleyball and baseball slated to compete in the second spring session from Apr. 10, 2021 to June 23, 2021.

Source: IVC Athletics