HOPE – The Hope Bobcats’ high school and junior high football programs opened off-season workouts July 6 under guidance concerning COVID-19.
“We will start with conditioning this week; get everyone acclimated after a long time off,” Co-Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Phillip Turner said in a July 7 statement. “And, we will go into the weight room next week.”
Turner emphasized workouts will be conducted under the guidance approved through the office of Superintendent Dr. Bobby Hart.
Current guidance requirements include:
Athletics physicals:
--Student athletics physicals are valid for up to 15 months, and must be determined accordingly.
--The Bobcat Clinic will continue to offer appointments for athletics physicals, which must be arranged and attended by a parent.
Required daily screening:
--All coaches and student athletes will have temperature screenings prior to entry into HPS athletics facilities.
--There will be ONE entry and exit point; and, high school athletes should be dropped off and picked up in front of the HHS gym entrance in the campus bus drive.
--All coaches and athletes who answer “yes” to any question on the screening form at the facility entrance will be excluded from practice.
Face coverings/masks:
--All athletes and coaches will be required to wear a mask when entering any athletics facility or workout.
--A mask will be given to every athlete upon entry into a facility or workout.
--Each athlete’s mask will be labeled with their name; and, masks will be collected at the end of workouts to be washed for distribution the next day.
Workout gear:
--All athletes must wear his/her own workout gear to and from each workout.
--No laundry will be available at the school.
--No athletes will be allowed into the locker room to store items.
Water bottles:
--Each athlete is required to furnish his/her own filled water bottle; preferably, a one-gallon bottle which can be purchased at Walmart and labeled with the athlete’s name.
Off-season workouts: Sessions which began July 6 will be expanded and times altered accordingly.
--Days 1-2: One session per day; maximum one hour in length.
--Days 3-5: One session per day; maximum 1.5 hours in length.
--Days 6-10: One session per day; maximum two hours in length.
--Days 11-13: One session per day; maximum 2.5 hours in length.
--Days 14-15: One session per day; maximum three hours in length.