Santa Ana College baseball players go through conditioning drills. (Photo courtesy Santa Ana College sports information)
Plans are continuing at Santa Ana College for the return of athletics in 2021 if conditions allow, Athletic Director Mary Hegarty said Tuesday.
“Fall sports (football, volleyball, soccer, cross country, wrestling, plus basketball) begin official practice on Jan. 18 with competition set for Feb. 13 for football and Feb. 5 for all other sports,” Hegarty said by Email in response to questions from OC Sports Zone.
“Spring sports (baseball, softball, beach volleyball, and track) begin official practice on March 27 and competition on April 10.”
The California Community College Athletic Association announced last week that its plan for sports was moving forward in response to the coronavirus pandemic, which reshuffled the sports schedule this year. Programs at Irvine Valley College, Orange Coast College, Saddleback College, Golden West College, Cypress College, Santiago Canyon and Fullerton College are also affected.
The contingency plan was approved in July and moves all 24 of the CCCAA sports to one of two seasons beginning in the spring. Community college sports were suspended in March.
Hegarty said preparation is under way on the Santa Ana campus with all of the Dons’ teams conducting off-season classes.
“In order to begin their on campus, in person instruction, students were required to complete a COVID educational training,” she said. “Additionally, they were required to be cleared medically by a physician and complete additional medical paperwork in order to be cleared to proceed.
“After successfully conducting those classes safely for a few weeks, we have transitioned this week to allowing balls (for each sport) and sport implements during those outdoor activities.”
Hegarty said numerous precautions are being taken.
“In all cases, coaches, staff, and students are practicing good, safe behavior by wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining six foot social distancing, cleaning balls and implements, etc.,” she said.
“Additionally, our coaches screen their students and staff daily for COVID symptoms before they are allowed to enter campus and participate in activities. Students experiencing any symptoms are sent home and receive their instruction remotely.
“Our plan is to progress to allow our indoor sports (basketball and volleyball) to conduct classes safely in the gyms. There is no planned date for that yet; we will continue to monitor what is happening in our state, county, district, and campus in conjunction with SAC leadership to determine the next step.
“After the fall term ends in the middle of December, most SAC teams will be conducting intercession classes that start at the beginning of January.”
Hegarty said testing of athletes is still being explored.
“At this stage, the big issue to solve is the testing piece,” she said. “We are awaiting additional information from the state, and, in the meantime, the CCCAA and local colleges are working to solve the logistics and costs of that.”
As of now, it appears that the games would be held without fans.
“There are no plans for spectators at this point, but, like everything related to COVID, things are constantly changing and evolving,” Hegarty said. “If the situation in the state and county improve and/or there is a vaccine in place by the time competition starts, that could change.
“If things change for the worse, our planned spring competition schedule could change as well. The situation is fluid. With the support of SAC administration, we are moving forward and are on track with our plans for a safe and competitive spring schedule.”
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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