AIA recommends coronavirus guidelines for high school sports

The Arizona Interscholastic Association released a “living document” of guidelines meant to safely navigate high school sports teams as they prepare for the fall semester with coronavirus safety in mind.

“Our priority through this is for the safety and well-being of all our state’s student-athletes and those that support them,” said AIA executive director David Hines in a release. “We are not guaranteed to have a fall season. We are preparing to be ready on time, but it will all depend on how this situation develops as the summer goes on. We just ask that schools, coaches, players and parents consider and utilize the guidelines until we get back to normal.”

A 12-page document lists CDC guidelines and promotes behavior to reduce potential transmission of COVID-19. Those practices include staying home when sick, washing hands, staying six feet apart and practicing outside, if possible.

It also asks for participants to not high five or shake hands, not to use water fountains and to shower immediately at home after a practice.

The document has information about the phased return of school sports and asks schools to create protocols to communicate best practices and potential symptoms to a designated point of contact in charge of coronavirus safety.

High schools in Arizona are currently entering a summer participation phase. That means teams can begin practicing, but the AIA said that it is up to each school to determine which steps to take in order to hold offseason practices.

The AIA canceled high school sports due to the coronavirus when the state forced students out of schools on March 30.

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