2020-21 Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan

During the phased reopening of counties across Pennsylvania, school districts were given the green light to resume practices for student-athletes. Radnor Township School District (RTSD) will take the necessary precautions and consider recommendations from the federal, state, and local governments, the CDC, PA Department of Health, as well as the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), PIAA. and other reputable organizations that oversee or provide guidance for clubs or activities RTSD realizes that knowledge regarding Covid-19 is constantly changing as scientists and medical professionals learn more about the virus. The recommendations found within the RTSD Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan will be adjusted as needed as new information becomes available.

The following people will serve as the points of contact for all athletic and activities questions related to COVID-19 from parents, students, and coaches/activity sponsors:

• High School Athletics: Mr. Mike Friel (michael.friel@rtsd.org or 610-293-0855 x3550)

• High School Activities: Mrs. PT Kevgas (panayota.kevgas@rtsd.org or 610-293-0855 x3500)

• Middle School Athletics: Mr. Ed McCallion (edward.mccallion@rtsd.org or 610-386-6300 x7145)

• Middle School Activities: Dr. David Wiedlich (david.wiedlich@rtsd.org or 610-386-6300 x7501)

• Elementary Sports and Activities

  • Ithan: Dr. Tronya Boylan (tronya.boylan@rtsd.org or 610-527-1357)

  • Radnor: Dr. Anthony Stevenson (anthony.stevenson@rtsd.org or 610-788-9300)

  • Wayne: Mrs. Nancy Ferguson (nancy.ferguson@rtsd.org or 610-687-8480)

Parents and Student-Athletes Will:

• Sign the Assumption of Risk Form

• Provide medical insurance information and emergency contact information

• Sign a permission form for the student to participate in the sport or activity that includes:

  • Confirmation that the parent and athlete have reviewed the CDC guidelines entitled "What you should know about Covid-19 to protect yourself and others" and "Important information about your cloth face coverings" to educate them on the symptoms of Covid-19, appropriate social distancing, hygiene, hand washing and sanitizing procedures

  • Confirmation that each student is responsible to provide their own personal protective equipment, beverages, and food items for each practice, performance or competition and that these items will not be shared with others

  • Have read the 2020-21 Athletics and Activities Health and Safety Plan, understand, and agree to the stipulations set forth

Coaches and Activity Sponsors Will:

• Meet with their building principal or direct supervisor and explain how all RTSD Health and Safety Plan guidance as well as individual governing body guidance is being met for their sport or activity

• Review the CDC guidelines entitled "What you should know about Covid-19 to protect yourself and others," and "Important information about your cloth face coverings" to educate them on the symptoms of Covid-19, appropriate social distancing, hygiene, hand washing and sanitizing procedures

• Review the CDC guidelines on consideration for youth sports to modify practices and games to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. This includes focusing on individual skill building versus competition and limiting contact in close contact sports, as is applicable to both sports and activities.

  • Coaches for PIAA sports will review the Central Athletic League Return to Play Guidelines and the PIAA Return to Competition: Individual Sport Considerations

  • Coaches for club sports will review the Central Athletic League Return to Play Guidelines and their governing body’s return to play guidelines.

    • Click here for Crew

    • Click here for Ice Hockey

    • Click here for Squash

    • Click here for Ultimate Frisbee

  • Sponsors for Performing Arts will review the guidance for a return to practice, performance or competition

• Confirm that each coach or activity sponsor is responsible to provide their own personal protective equipment, beverages, and food items for each workout and that these items will not be shared with others

• Acknowledge they will be responsible to take roll at each session and ensure each coach/activity sponsor and student has had their temperature checked prior to the start of the event

• Acknowledge they are responsible for the cleaning of school equipment after each session for each group (i.e.: football tackling dummies)

• Will follow the established building procedure and schedule all sessions through the athletic/main office

• Have read the 2020-21 Athletics Health and Safety Plan, understand, and agree to the stipulations set forth

COVID-19 virus is a highly contagious illness that primarily attacks the upper respiratory system. The virus that causes COVID-19 can infect people of all ages. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus and may range from mild to severe. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to:

• Fever or chills (axillary/temporal>99.5; oral>100)

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore Throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

• If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you are infected with the virus, stay at home. It is essential that you take steps to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home or community. If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, call your healthcare provider for medical advice.

• Notify the school immediately (principal, athletic director, athletic trainer, coach/activity sponsor)

• It will be determined if others who may have been exposed (students, coaches/activity sponsors, staff) need to be notified, isolated, and/or monitored for symptoms

• If a positive case of COVID-19 is diagnosed for a student or coach/activity sponsor of particular sport or activity, all coaches/activity sponsors and students on the team/in the group will be notified of a positive case, while also protecting privacy and HIPPA for the sick individual

• Every effort will be made to isolate the ill individual from others, until the student or staff member can leave the school or event

• If the individual is a student, the parent/guardian will be contacted immediately, and arrangements will be made for the student to be picked up

• The ill individual will be asked to contact their physician or appropriate healthcare professional for direction

• The coach/activity sponsor will immediately notify the the appropriate point of contact outlined above who will inform the Custodial Supervisor, H.R. Director, Pandemic Coordinators and the Director of Operations

• Indoor facilities where the ill individual was located will be shut down until cleaning can occur

Students and staff will not be permitted to return to school, the sport or activity unless they meet the most current Chester County Health Departmnet (CCHD) criteria to return. RTSD will post the most current CCHD criteria on the RTSD website.

• RTSD will follow the most current requirements for events and gatherings as set forth by the PA Department of Health and the Governor’s Office. The administration reserves the right to go below the numbers set forth as conditions and/or circumstances warrant.

• While adhering to gathering occupancy District administration may need to limit spectators to events. Each different sport or activity will have gathering limits set by administrators. Preference will be given to senior parents when possible. Spectators for certain sports will not be permitted due to limitations. In some cases the District will attempt to record the event for parents.

• All practices and activities should be conducted with 6’ distancing to the greatest extent feasible

• No parents or spectators for any practices

• All use of facilities by any team must be scheduled in advance following the established building procedure for scheduling activities

• Athletes should arrive prepared to go and avoid congregating before the workout/practice

• Coaches/sponsors, students, and trainers must bring their own personal protective equipment

• All students must wear cloth face masks (face shields are prohibited) at all times (including during practices and games); exceptions to this rule will be in accordance with PIAA guidance (i.e., swimming and diving teams while they are actively competing or practicing)

• Student-athletes may be permitted to wear gaiters on a case-by-case basis while they are on the field. Determinations will be made by district administration in consultation with the athletic director and building principal.

• Coaches/sponsors and other adult personnel must wear face masks at all times

• Any student with a medical condition that prohibits them from wearing a face mask must have medical documentation from a health care provider that doing so jeopardizes their health and safety; these cases will be examined on a case-by-case basis

• Coaches/sponsors, students, and trainers must bring their own water bottles

• Coaches/sponsors and students will not be permitted to use water fountains

• Water bottles, practice pinnies, clothing, towels, etc. cannot be shared

• Limit unnecessary physical contact(no shaking hands, fist bumps, high fives, etc.)

• Students and coaches/sponsors must pass a pre-activity screening with results logged

• Students and coaches/sponsors must use hand sanitizer or wash their hands with warm soapy water prior to workouts

• Clean/disinfect weight room equipment after each individual use

• Coaches/sponsors, students, and trainers must take home all personal equipment and belongings after each workout

• Coaches/sponsors, students, and trainers are encouraged to wash/disinfect all clothing and personal equipment after each workout

• Students should leave immediately following the activity

• Coaches/sponsors must stay on campus until all members of their group have left the campus

• Captains/student leader practices are prohibited regardless of location; a coach/sponsor must be present for all sessions

• During the Red Phase, all schools are closed, practices are prohibited, and no team/group activities may take place

• RTSD reserves the right to require students to submit to COVID-19 testing to participate in athletics, events, and activities. This testing may be done on a case-by-case basis for individual sports, events, or activities, or may be required for all sports, events, and activities. Students who refuse to submit to testing (or whose parents/guardians refuse to permit such testing) will be ineligible to participate in practices, events, activities, and competitions.

• As with all things during the COVID-19 pandemic, our understanding of the virus and the guidance from governing bodies has changed and adapted. The National Federation of State High School Associations’ (NFHS) Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recently changed their guidance to remove the tiered risk categories for sports. (e.x.: higher, medium, lower) This change was adopted by the PIAA. RTSD will continue to follow mitigation strategies and best practices as outlined by the PIAA, Central Athletic League, RTSD and governing bodies.

• Students are discouraged from car-pooling/ride sharing to and from workouts, except with immediate family members

• Students must come dressed and ready to participate, and athletes will not have access to locker rooms

• Equipment that may be used by multiple individuals (balls, shields, tackling dummies, shot put, discus, pole vault, etc.) should be cleaned intermittently during practice

• Spotters for weightlifting should be stationed at each end of the bar, rather than behind the user

• Coaches/sponsors are encouraged to conduct all activities in an outdoor setting to the greatest extent possible

• Coaches/sponsors are encouraged to divide teams/groups into small pods of 10 or less (position groups, etc.) to conduct drills and activities

• Students are discouraged from car-pooling/ride sharing to and from workouts, except with immediate family members and/or members of their workout pod

• Students should come dressed and ready to participate, but locker room access will be available on an as needed basis

• Coaches/sponsors are encouraged to conduct all activities in an outdoor setting to the greatest extent possible

• Coaches/sponsors are encouraged to divide teams/groups into small pods of 15 or less (position groups, etc.) to conduct drills and activities

The National Federation of State High School Associations’ Sports Medicine Advisory Committee grouped sports into three categories: Higher Risk, Moderate Risk and Lower Risk.

• Higher Risk – Sports with prolonged, close inter-athlete contact, and lack of significant protective barriers o Boys lacrosse, football, rugby, wrestling

• Moderate Risk – Individual sports with close, sustained contact, group sports, or sports that equipment can’t be cleaned between participants o Baseball*, basketball, crew, field hockey, girls lacrosse, high jump*, ice hockey, long jump*, pole vault*, soccer, softball*, swimming relays, tennis*, volleyball*
  *Could potentially be considered “Lower Risk” with appropriate cleaning of equipment and use of masks by participants.

• Lower Risk – Sports that can be done with social distancing or individually with no sharing of equipment or the ability to clean equipment between participants o Cross country with staggered starts, discus, golf, individual running events, individual swimming, javelin, non-competitive cheerleading, shot put

RTSD will permit lower and moderate risk sports, as well as in-person activities such as Marching Band, Color Guard and the Fall Play, provided the safety measures outlined by the PIAA, Central Athletic League, RTSD and governing bodies are followed.

RTSD will permit higher risk sports provided the safety measures outlined by the PIAA, Central Athletic League, RTSD and governing bodies are followed. Student-athletes in higher risk sports must also select the online option for the duration of the season + 14 days in order to participate.

At any time, based on community spread or other factors, District administration may require lower and/or moderate risk sports to go online to participate in practices and/or competitions.

Facilities should be cleaned prior to the team/group arrival, and post workout/event/activity. High touch areas should be cleaned frequently. A cleaning schedule will be created and implemented for all facilities to mitigate any communicable diseases.