COLUMBUS — There is still no clear indication on how all of the state’s schools will safely open in a few weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association has offered a plan it hopes will allow for the 2020 season to take place.
In a 38-page, detailed document, the OHSFCA made it clear Tuesday the coaches have considered safety protocols — and they hope Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio High School Athletic Association will strongly consider it.
“As we move forward in the direction of a responsible restart, we ask that the Governor’s task force review the information we have provided as a guide to outline protocols for the 2020 football season,” the coaches’ association wrote, adding the plan was developed with research from medical professionals.
“It is the goal of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association to protect the long-standing tradition of high school football in the Buckeye state. While this proposal provides vital ways to protect all of those involved in our sport, it also demonstrates the innovation and flexibility that reflects the traits that ARE OHIO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL,” the document said.
“We understand the important work being done to protect all Ohioans, and we present this as a working document that may require additional action, and the (OHSFCA) stands ready to work with the Governor, his taskforce, and the (OHSAA) to ensure a high school football season this fall in our great state,” the association wrote.
Some states have already cancelled fall football, or delayed it until the spring. Some colleges have done the same and the NFL is still working on a plan with its players to develop protocols for the sport to return at the highest level.
The plan, complete with photos, shows how schools and coaches will alter practices, travel and game-day procedures in accordance with DeWine’s Responsible Restart Initiative and guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control.
These guidelines include additional spacing/social distancing on the sidelines for players; less full-contact per day; social distancing for spectators; masks worn by those in attendance and coaches on the sidelines; individual water containers; daily symptom checks for participants; hand sanitizer on frequent basis; shortened halftime periods; and limiting the number of non-essential personnel on the sidelines during games.
The OHSFCA said there is “growing concern about the rise in behavioral health and self-harm cases among children, brought on by isolation caused by the pandemic.”
The coaches said being part of a team, “around coaches who truly care for them, and by breaking out of the isolation that has characterized this health crisis will be of great benefit to these athletes.”
Among the coaches, active and retired, on the OHSFCA committee working on the plan were Reno Saccocia, Steubenville High School; Tom Pavlansky, Courtland Lakeview; Brent Fackler, Kenton; Jim McQuade, Solon and Brian Colatruglio, Bascom Hopewell-Loudon, among others.
