UPDATE: High school athletic officials wait for guidance on camps and answers on fall sports

Sunny Hills’ linebacker Carson Irons (9) joyfully runs off field after critical interception in final moments of a CIF semifinal playoff win over Trabuco Hills last year. Teammates are Kevin Ha (34) and Noah Brown (24). (Photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone)

Officials in Orange County school districts had to stop high school athletic camps this week after additional guidance from the California Department of Health which indicated that youth sports activities, including conditioning, are not permitted.

Now, they wait for answers from state and county officials on whether they can resume the camps while also waiting to hear when fall sports might start.

The camps allowed high school sports, which have been shut down since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, to resume with teams conducting off-season conditioning.

But a number of districts, including Newport Mesa, Capistrano Valley Unified, Newport Mesa, Irvine Unified, Orange Unified and Anaheim Union School District, shut down the athletic camps, including football camps. Private schools including Mater Dei, Servite, Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran were among those also postponing or cancelling camps.

Camps in the Fullerton Joint Union School District were also postponed. The Sunny Hills football camp, including the one led by football coach Pete Karavedas, had been going since middle of June, but had to be postponed. Sunny Hills captured the CIF Division 8 title last year defeating Santa Barbara 24-21.

No decision had been made as of last month on athletic camps in the Santa Ana Unified School District, officials indicated.

Officials in the Irvine Unified School District are hopeful the camps, which were suspended Monday on their first day, can resume.

But as of Wednesday, there was no indication when that could happen.

“We have no information as to when the California Department of Public Health will provide us with updated guidelines,” said IUSD Athletic Director Mark Cunningham on Wednesday. “What they have stated is, ‘that guidance specific to youth sports would be released in the future.’

“If we are given the go ahead we will resume immediately or as immediate as is feasibly possible.”

However, it’s possible that further guidance from the state may take a while.

“As far as significant delay and the possibility of cancelling camps; those decisions will be made only after the athletic directors and administrators meet and decide collectively what the next steps will be,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham also offered advice for coaches and athletes who have had to put their plans on hold.

“My advice for coaches and athletes is be ready, be positive and be safe,” he said. “Things are changing on a daily basis and just as we make adjustments in games and practices, we must be ready and prepared to make those same kind of adjustments going forward.”

Here’s what’s ahead and a look at what happened this week:

—-On Monday, July 20, CIF state and Southern Section officials will make an announcement on the future of fall, winter and spring sports. Football season is scheduled to open on Friday, Aug. 21, but it appears likely it will be moved back. CIF Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod has said the football season could start as late as January. Cunningham, the Irvine district athletic director, agreed with that sentiment last week.

—On Monday, public school district officials had to indefinitely postpone athletic camps with no rescheduled date in place.

—On Monday, Northwood’s football players started the day with a 7 a.m. workout. Then, Coach Paige Nobles had to write a letter that day explaining to parents and players that the camps had been postponed.

––Tuesday, officials with the Tustin Unified School District announced that high school athletic camps, which began on Monday, June 15, would be postponed after this Friday with hopes they could be resumed. Tustin’s football camp ended on Tuesday, according to district spokesman Mark Eliot.

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