After the most unpredictable year in history due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sports are finally back at Arcadia High School (AHS). 

With girls volleyball, water polo, cross country, football, and other season one sports resuming their practice schedules and starting to compete, athletes at AHS are overjoyed to be playing the sports they love. 

Season two sports, like baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, and track and field, have also been cleared to begin their respective seasons. Some of the sports at AHS will only resume for varsity players.

So, what are the safety protocols in place? According to the new school policy, masks are mandatory for everyone on campus unless exertion is involved. This is the most simple, yet most important safety precaution, as no mask means no sports. Also, athletes must go through daily temperature checks and screenings to assess whether or not they are infected.

For the AHS JV and Varsity Baseball teams, daily Google forms are sent out, through which players conduct self-assessments on whether or not they have any symptoms of COVID-19 before stepping foot on the field.

However, in the case an athlete still manages to become infected, a general plan of action will take place.

“Each scenario is different and it depends when that exposure was relative to team exposure. Worst case scenario the entire team is quarantined,” said AHS Athletic Director Milica Protic. 

Unfortunately for the football team, the worst-case scenario has already become a reality. After a positive test of COVID-19 on the Varsity Football team, football operations were forced to come to a standstill. This event ended up delaying an already postponed season, forcing players to stay at home for two weeks of quarantine. Games that had been planned during that time were cancelled. Since the positive player had come in contact with teammates, the administration was left with no choice but to quarantine the whole team.

Girls Volleyball, which is almost done with its season, was another sports team that was severely impacted by COVID-19. Fearing the risk of further spread in light of rising infections, the county pushed back the date on the opening of indoor gyms, leaving the Girls Varsity Volleyball team with nowhere to practice in the middle of its season.

“The closure of the gyms has impacted us by not allowing us to grow in our skills and as a team. Also, we didn’t get to meet new people and actually bond with them,” said Girls Varsity Volleyball team member Ashley Huston.

Because of this, the team has had to practice on the outdoor courts at AHS. It was limited to one ball, resulting in practices not being as beneficial as they would have been with the proper facilities.

As the administration, coaches, and players do their best to prepare for the worst, AHS’ athletic teams are slated to begin season two sports starting today, Mar. 20. Although dates are bound to change with the unpredictability of COVID-19, things are currently looking strong for season two sports. Hopefully, things will go better this time around.

Photo courtesy of AUSD.NET