No-contact rule lifted

COLUMBUS, Ohio — High school athletes in the Buckeye State can get back to training for their respective sports.

In a memo sent to school superintendents, principals and athletics directors on Thursday, the OHSAA will remove its no-contact period for all sports beginning Tuesday.

This move comes a week after the organization said it was lifting the restrictions for six sports deemed low or non contact.

“The permissions for the sports announced today are for skills training only,” OHSAA executive director Jerry Snodgrass said in the release. “Today’s announcement does not permit competitions of any kind and there has been no date set for when competitions in these sports may begin.”

Baseball, golf, softball, swimming and diving, tennis and track and field can begin competition on Tuesday according to Gov. Mike DeWine’s “Responsible RestartOhio” plan he announced on May 14.

Thursday’s OHSAA announcement permits all athletes to start training again. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, amended the school closure order to allow each respective school district to determine the usage of both its indoor and outdoor facilities.

High school principal Bill Overla said this morning the district has not had the opportunity to devise a specific plan for how Fort Recovery Local Schools will open its facilities for student athletes, it is anticipated the student activity center will be utilized for workouts.

“The initial inclination is to follow guidelines and let our kids and coaches get back to what they want to be doing,” he said.

“I think that’s the direction we’re going,” FRHS athletics director Brent Niekamp said. “We have to figure out how that’s all going to look.

“That might not happen right on the 26th, but we have to make sure it’s clean … We’re figuring out what the protocol is going to be in there as far as keeping equipment clean and keeping people spaced out.”

The SAC, a nearly 12,000-square-foot facility with exercise equipment and weight benches, has plenty of space for athletes to adhere to any 6-foot social distance guidelines.

“We’ll definitely use the space as far as, even if the kids take a barbell and move more in the open,” Niekamp said.

But Niekamp was adamant these ideas are all preliminary, as it will hinge on when the district decides to open its facilities.

Overla said he was planning to meet other principals later today, and then speak with superintendent Larry Brown to discuss the district’s respective plan.

In DeWine’s “Responsible RestartOhio” plan, mandatory guidelines for sport skills training include following social distancing guidelines for participants, parents and guardians. No additional spectators are permitted. It is recommended parents and guardians wear face coverings inside the training facility.

A mandatory no-touch rule in effect, meaning huddles, high fives or other close contact may not occur. Coaches, players, parents and guardians must do a self-symptom check before going to the training session, and anyone experiencing symptoms must stay home.

In terms of the equipment, it must be sanitized before, during and after the activity. Time should be allotted between each session to allow teams to exit before another team arrives.

For more mandatory guidelines and recommended practices, visit https://bit.ly/SkillsTrainingOhio.