With Governor Whitmer’s ending of the Safer-at-Home order effective on June 1, Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools may begin summer activities at school facilities as long as these two conditions are BOTH met:
1. The school or school district has declared school facilities open to students and staff.
2. The academic school year (last day of online instruction/exams) has ended.
If BOTH of these conditions have been met, see the guidance below under this current step that is effective as of June 2, 2020.
Key Points:
-Only OUTDOOR activity may take place in groups of 100 or fewer with physical distancing. All INDOOR facilities including gyms, weight rooms, ice arenas, training centers, workout areas, wrestling rooms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, natatoriums and exercise studios remain CLOSED. At the present time, this includes all indoor
school facilities.
-Given the Governor’s June 1 order allowing OUTDOOR groups of 100 or fewer with physical distancing, this has moved all OUTDOOR activity to a “Modified Step 2” in the “MHSAA/NFHS Re-Opening of School Sports” guidance document from May 29. This is modified because competition may not start yet due to the physical distancing requirement of six feet. Only outdoor workouts and practices are allowed at this time following the physical distance guidance and outdoor limits of 100 or fewer if school district facilities are open. Unless proper cleaning and physical distancing is practiced, the use of restrooms and other indoor facilities including training rooms should be avoided.
-The following four-page document has been modified from the original guidance document as it addresses current conditions as defined by the June 1 Executive Order. It is anticipated that the controlling factor in progressing between the Steps is the number of people allowed in groups as set by the Governor, thus the current allowed outdoor activity is a modification of Step 2. When indoor facilities open in the future, and if the
limit of 10 persons exists, that indoor activity would start with Step 1. The MHSAA will continue to communicate on the progression of steps based on future government direction.
-All MHSAA out-of-season summer coaching regulations continue to apply (e.g. voluntary, not part of team selection, etc.).
Sport Specific Activity and Workouts- Effective June 2
ALL SPORTS: Maintain Physical Distancing with OUTDOOR activity only!
Low Risk Sports: Cross Country, Golf, Sideline Cheer, Skiing, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field
-Activities must be done with physical distancing of 6 feet! All athletic equipment, including balls, should be cleaned intermittently during practices and workouts.
-Cross Country and Track & Field: Runners should maintain at least 6 feet of physical distancing between individuals, no grouping (i.e., starts and finishes).
-Golf: Maintain appropriate physical distancing 6 feet apart.
-Sideline Cheer: No physical contact – chants and jumps, only, with physical distancing.
-Swimming: Some outdoor pools will open; indoor pools remain closed. Swim relays need to maintain physical distance. Divers must use physical distancing when waiting for the board. Activity must take place outdoors.
-Tennis: Must keep physical distance if playing singles and doubles. Wipe down rackets and clean balls after use.
-Track & Field: No sharing of implements / equipment. Padded equipment should be cleaned between uses. Common equipment such as relay batons should be cleaned intermittently during practices and workouts.
Moderate Risk Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Girls Lacrosse, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball
-Baseball: All players must be physically distant. Players should not share gloves, batting gloves, helmets and catcher’s equipment. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout session.
-Basketball: Drills are allowed that keep all players physically distant; there should be no physical contact or close proximity of players. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout. Activity must take place outdoors.
-Bowling: Indoor bowling centers remained closed.
-Girls Lacrosse: Drills are allowed that keep all players physically distant; there should be no physical contact or close proximity of players. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout. Players should not share lacrosse sticks.
-Gymnastics: Equipment must be cleaned between rotations of athletes. Physical distancing must be maintained. Training must take place outdoors.
-Ice Hockey: Indoor rinks remain closed. If an outdoor rink is used for roller hockey, drills are allowed that keep all players physically distant and there should be no physical contact or close proximity of players. Common equipment, such as the puck, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout. Players should not share hockey sticks.
-Soccer: Drills are allowed that keep all players physically distant; there should be no physical contact or close proximity of players. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout session.
-Softball: All players must be physically distant. Players should not share gloves, batting gloves, helmets and catcher’s equipment. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout session.
-Volleyball: Drills are allowed that keep all players physically distant; there should be no physical contact or close proximity of players. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout session. Activity must take place outdoors.
Higher Risk Sports: Boys Lacrosse, Competitive Cheer, Football, Wrestling
-Boys Lacrosse: Drills are allowed that keep all players physically distant; there should be no physical contact or close proximity of players. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout. Contact with other players is not allowed. Players should not share lacrosse sticks or face off.
-Competitive Cheer: Conditioning and individual technique/choreography work. No physical contact- chants and jumps, only, with physical distancing. Activity must take place outdoors.
-Football: Drills are allowed that keep all players physically distant; there should be no physical contact or close proximity of players. Common equipment, such as the ball, must be cleaned as permitted during a practice or workout. Contact with other players is not allowed, and there should be no use of tackling dummies / shields / sleds. Protective equipment other than helmets is prohibited; helmets may not be shared.
-Wrestling: Conditioning, mirror drills with spacing, no contact. Wrestlers may drill without touching a teammate (as long as physical distancing is adhered to). Activity must take place outdoors.
Modified Step 2 Reminders:
Facility Cleaning:
-Adequate cleaning schedules should be created and implemented for all athletic facilities.
-Prior to an individual or groups of individuals entering a facility, hard surfaces within that facility should be wiped down and sanitized (benches, weight equipment, bathrooms, athletic training room tables, etc.).
-Individuals should wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water and soap or hand sanitizer before touching any surfaces or participating in workouts.
-Hand sanitizer should be plentiful and available to individuals as they transfer from place to place.
-Appropriate clothing/shoes should be worn at all times to minimize sweat from transmitting onto equipment/surfaces.
-Any equipment such as athletic pads, etc., having holes with exposed foam should be covered.
-Students must be encouraged to shower and wash their workout clothing immediately upon returning to home.
Entrance/Exit Strategies:
-Consider organization to prevent groups from gathering at entrances/exits to facilities to limit crossover and contact, including staggering starting/ending times.
Limits on Gatherings:
-No gathering of more than 100 people at a time outdoors (NO INDOOR ACTIVITY IS ALLOWED YET).
-Locker rooms may not be utilized during this step. Students should report to workouts in proper gear and immediately return home to shower at end of the workout. NO USE OF INDOOR FACILITIES!
-Workouts should be conducted in “pods” of students with the same small group of students always working out together. This ensures more limited exposure if someone develops an infection.
-There must be a minimum distance of 6 feet between individuals at all times.
Pre-Workout Screening:
-All coaches and students should be screened daily for signs / symptoms of COVID-19 prior to participating, including a temperature check. This check may take place onsite or be completed and verified prior to arrival onsite (at home, for example). Anyone with a temperature of greater than 100.3 degrees should not participate and be sent home.
-Responses to screening questions for each person should be recorded and stored so that there is a record of everyone present in case a student develops COVID-19. These records must be kept confidential. Sample form at MHSAA.com.
-Any person with positive symptoms reported should not be allowed to participate, should self-isolate, and contact their primary care provider or other health-care professional. Involve local health departments if positive cases of COVID are discovered.
-Vulnerable individuals should not supervise or participate in any workouts. School districts will make the decision on vulnerable individuals.
Face Coverings:
-State, local or school district guidelines for cloth face coverings should be strictly followed.
-Cloth face coverings should be considered acceptable. There is no need to require or recommend “medical grade” masks for physical activity.
-Any student who prefers to wear a cloth face covering should be allowed to do so.
-In the absence of guidelines to the contrary, we recommend that cloth face coverings be worn by students. Exceptions are swimming, distance running or other high-intensity aerobic activity.
-Plastic shields covering the entire face will not be allowed during participation due to the risk of unintended injury to the person wearing the shield or others.
-Coaches, officials and all other personnel are encouraged to wear cloth face coverings at all times and are strongly encouraged to wear cloth face coverings whenever physical distancing is not possible. (Artificial noisemakers such as an air horn or a timer system with an alarm can be used to signal in place of a traditional whistle.)
Hygiene Practices:
-Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, especially after touching frequently used items or surfaces.
-Sneeze or cough into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow. Avoid touching your face.
-Disinfect frequently used items and surfaces as much as possible.
-Do not spit at all – air, ground, equipment, hands, sunflower seeds, etc.
-All students shall bring their own water bottle. Water bottles must not be shared.
-Hydration stations (water cows, water trough, water fountains, etc.) should not be utilized. Food should not be shared.
Facility Access:
-Locker rooms should not be used. Students should report in appropriate attire and immediately return home to shower after participation. No students allowed in a training area unless the athletic trainer is present.
-Currently all indoor facilities remain closed.
Physical Activity & Equipment:
-All athletic equipment, including balls, should be cleaned intermittently during practices and contests.
-There should be no shared athletic equipment (towels, clothing, shoes, or sport-specific equipment) when possible between students.
-Students should wear their own appropriate workout clothing (do not share clothing); individual clothing/towels should be washed and cleaned after every workout.
-All athletic equipment, including balls, should be cleaned after each use and prior to the next workout.
-Individual drills requiring the use of athletic equipment are permissible, but the equipment should be cleaned prior to use by the next individual.
-Resistance training should be emphasized through the use of body weight and resistance bands.
-Physical contact such as handshakes, high-fives, fist bumps, and hugs should not be allowed.
