CCCAA Approves Plan to Resume 2020-2021 Athletics Season; SMC Adopts Guidelines
Santa Monica College #44 defensive end Wiktor Zaton walks off the filed after a disappointing loss to Santa Barbara City College. Santa Monica, CA. November 9, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Tidmore/The Corsair)
On June 9, the California Community College Athletics Association (CCCAA) unanimously agreed upon a three-part plan, and announced the resumption of athletics for the 2020-2021 season. After a long two months and 21 days following the cancellation of spring season, the CCCAA Director of Sports Information and Communication Mike Robles assured the public that “the health and well-being of our student athletes has been at the forefront of all of our decision-making and planning.”
Santa Monica College (SMC) Athletic Director Reggie Ellis echoed Robles's statement in response to the resumption of collegiate athletics.
“With COVID-19, my main concern is the health and safety of our student-athletes, my staff, and everybody on campus," Ellis said. "While it’s not the most optimal thing, I think based on where we are with COVID, and where the county is, I think that the CCCAA multi-staged approach to bringing sports back is a good one, because it’s all based on the health and safety of our student athletes.”
The new proposal is split into three parts, all of which are contingent on what reopening phase California is in, the first of which is a conventional plan. This plan encompasses Football, Water Polo, Cross Country, Women’s Golf, Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, and Wrestling, and confirms the restarting of practice in the fall starting August 31, and the beginning of competition on Sept. 11, except Football (Sept. 26 start date). The Spring sports in this plan; Baseball, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Men’s Golf, Softball, Swim & Dive, Tennis, Track & Field, and Men’s Volleyball, would all stay in their traditional seasons and start practice Feb. 15, then begin competition March 1.
The second part is a Contact/Non-Contact plan including Cross Country, Women’s Golf, Swim & Dive, and Women’s Volleyball. These sports would all start practice on August 31, and begin competition Sept. 11. Football, Basketball, Soccer, Water Polo, and Wrestling would all take place in the early spring, beginning practice on Jan. 18 and starting competition Feb. 13. The season would end April 17. Meanwhile, Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Men’s Golf, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, and Men’s Volleyball would start practice on March 27, start competitions April 10, and end the season June 23.
The last plan included is the Contingency Plan, which initially had two sports playing in the Fall; Cross Country, Women’s Golf, the updated plan now includes Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Women’s Golf, Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, Water Polo, and Wrestling. Practices would start Jan. 18, competition would start Feb. 5 except Football (Feb. 13 start date), and seasons would end In late spring Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Men’s Golf, Softball, Swim & Dive, Track & Field, Tennis, and Men’s Volleyball would start. Practice would start March 27, then competition April 10, with the season ending June 23.
The CCCAA set a deadline of July 17 to decide what plan would be best implemented. The Board of Directors was hoping California would be in phase 4 of reopening, so they can implement the Conventional Plan - the more traditional format - but a few days before the proposed deadline on July 9, the Board of Directors decided to go with the updated Contingency Plan. Ellis expressed how difficult it’s going to be logistically moving all Fall sports to Spring, especially with transportation.
Football presents an especially unique challenge given the number of players and athletic staff required to be present during games. Robles acknowledged these issues by asking “How can teams practice and travel safely? What about their position meetings, the training room?" He added that "certainly, these aren’t challenges that only football faces but the sheer numbers of people involved adds another layer.” Football carries 80 players and coaching staff, and one athletic trainer. According to Ellis, for SMC, only essential personnel will be permitted to the games. This includes players, coaches, athletics staff, and medical staff.
Concerning the guidelines and protocols student-athletes will have to go through, SMC Athletic Trainer Diane Watanabe explained, “In the current plan, student-athletes will be required to complete daily online screening prior to arriving on-campus, and will get their temperatures taken before they begin practice. If they have COVID-19 symptoms or don’t feel well, they will be instructed to stay home.” Watanabe also noted that protocols are still in the works and will be subject to change as the season goes on.
According to Watanabe, SMC athletic training staff are presented with a unique challenge, as there are only 1.5 athletic trainers, and even before the COVID-19 pandemic they were being stretched thin for game events. In the event Watanabe contracts the virus, she noted that her assistant Anne Ozello would take her place.
As far as treating injured players, the training staff will begin new protocol in line with social distancing guidelines.
“In previous years, student-athletes could drop into the athletic training room whenever their schedule allowed. While social distance is still in effect, we will go to an appointment system,” Watanabe said. “The athletic training room is often where athletes from different teams meet each other. It will be different with the new appointment system and treating fewer student-athletes."
Robles acknowledged there aren’t protocols in place if a school has an outbreak of COVID-19, but thinks regardless of a plan being put together by the CCCAA, campuses should decide based on what’s in their own best interest, with state and local guidelines in mind. For SMC, Ellis confirmed that “the athletic department, and the school district itself, has a procedure in place.”
Teams will be allowed to begin practicing Jan. 18 barring any unforeseen changes with COVID-19. How this new format will work exactly for the 2020-2021 athletics season is unknown, but athletic officials and sports fans alike are eager to see how the upcoming seasons will proceed while facing the "new normal" of COVID-19.
