Sports can resume at Washington Township schools, board decides
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Students in Washington Township schools can resume sports after the school board reversed its decision on fall sports after health concerns.
Click here to view full August 3, 2020, School Board Resolution.
Student-athletes in 6th through 12th grades can participate in sports if practices don’t conflict with virtual learning.
North Central High school athletic director Andy Elkins told News 8 more than 400 students are taking part in fall sports. Elkins said he’s been working with coaches on safety precautions and practices can resume once they’re approved.
Parents are relieved the school board is giving students the option to play sports this fall.
“I feel really good about the safety precautions we have in place and I want them to have the opportunity that every other athlete in our conference has,” said cross country parent Mary Beth Baker.
Student-athletes, staff and coaches will follow protocols from the Marion County Health Department and the Indiana High School Sports Association (IHSSA).
They were following similar guidelines during a few practices before the Washington Township School board cancelled sports participation in July.
Tracy Vatnsdal told News 8 she has a sophmore who runs cross country and said, “They practiced in small pods and they brought their own towels, their own water and they had an awful lot of social distancing and other plans in mind.”
More precautions will include wearing a face mask when it’s practical, practicing in small groups and maintaining social distancing. Weight rooms and other facilities can only be used at 50% capacity and coaches will be looking for COVID-19 symptoms before every practice.
“If we see two of those symptoms at one time, that child then goes to our athletic trainer and she takes temperatures and does some further checks,” said Elkins.
Locker rooms will not be available for teams other than football, but designated bathrooms will be in place. Elkins mentioned school equipment will be cleaned every day, and bus transportation will only be provided to and from competitions.
“We’re all having to teach our children that this is something new that we’ve never had to experience before. However, we can’t live in fear and we have to find a way to adapt to this and to live with it,” added Vatnsdal.
The school board’s resolution states only family members with social distancing can attend competitions, but the athletic director plans to check with the Marion County Health Department in hopes everyone can attend in the future.