Santa Ana high school sports teams get go-ahead to start in-person training next month

Santa Ana High School defensive coordinator Dee Meza works with the Saints in 2019. (File photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

High school sports teams in the Santa Ana Unified School District have been given the go-ahead to start in person training beginning next month, according to Fermin Leal, chief communications officer for Santa Ana Unified School District.

“Our school board indicated on Tuesday support for the return of in-person, non-contact conditioning for sports,” Leal said in an Email. “All gatherings must take place outdoors, and temperatures of athletes, coaches and other personnel will be monitored daily.

“It appears that (Monday) Oct. 5 is the date identified for the start of these new protocols. We are still not allowed by state guidelines to start contact conditioning because our community remains above the COVID-19 positivity threshold. There is no current timeline for the start of contact conditioning.”

The guidance by the school district allows athletic teams, including football squads, to begin preparations for the season, although social distancing measures will have to be followed and no contact will be allowed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Santa Ana district includes Santa Ana, Saddleback, Santa Ana Valley, Segerstrom, Godinez and Century high schools. The schools are still using remote learning.

Saddleback High School Athletic Director Rob Thompson said Friday that he expects Saddleback fall teams to start on Oct. 5, and spring teams to begin on Nov. 9.

“We’re excited that the kids get to come back but the safety protocols are a lot to deal with,” Thompson said. “Not an even close to ideal situation but we have to do it to keep people safe. It will be a rough year.”

Santa Ana High School principal Jeff Bishop added:

“Our kids have been chopping at the bit to get back to normal, especially back in person again to compete. However, as we start to slowly bring each fall sport back, each athlete and coach will be trained on how to safely re-enter into Phase 2 where student athletes will only engage in conditioning and skills specific to their sport.

“We expect that  they will  honor and respect proper distancing and spacing from each other, face masks utilized and a sanitary approach whereas no equipment will be shared and will be cleaned appropriately throughout the conditioning period. Each sport will engage in smaller cohorts of students with coaches, where proper tracing can occur and where they can maintain a safe environment each day.

“After six months of isolation and waiting for the infection rate to dip so coaches and student-athletes can return to what they love most and have a passion for, their energy and anticipation is at a boiling point. Our coaches cannot wait to coach their student-athletes once again, in person.”

CIF officials released a new scheduling plan in July which moves a number of fall sports to December with football tentatively starting in January 2021. Most districts throughout Orange County have resumed or started athletic camps.

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