Bulldog Athletes to Start Training Next Week

mermerThe Milbank School District Board of Education met at its regular meeting on June 8. The board approved the resumption of Bulldog athletic training this summer.

Milbank Activities Director Ryan Scoular explained to the board the three-phase system the South Dakota High School Activities Association outlined. According to Scoular, each phase of the plan lasts 14 days.

Scoular said that an athlete, upon entering any facility, will go through a screening process of having their temperature taken and answering a series of questions about their health. The coaches will complete daily monitoring forms.

Sports programs have been divided into three categories: low, moderate, and high risk. Running and throwing events, golf, sideline cheer, cross country, debate, and oral interp are considered low risk. Basketball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, tennis, pole vault, high jump, long jump, seven-on-seven football, and one-act plays are moderate risk. Football, wrestling, and competitive cheer and dance are high risk.

Phase one limits participants to 10 people indoors or outdoors. That number includes the coaches. Low risk sports that are individual in nature are allowed full practices with social distancing. Moderate and high risk activities are only allowed individual drills and individual use of equipment/balls, and weight training.

Phase two allows groups of 50 people outdoors, but only 10 people indoors. Moderate risk sports can add modified drills and exchange of equipment/balls with intermittent cleaning. High risk sports are still limited to individual drills, but can exchange equipment/balls with cleaning.

The final phase allows 50 people indoors or outdoors. Full practices can take place for low and moderate risk sports. High risk sports can move towards modified drills.

Each coach will set up their training plans and relay the information to their athletes.

These phases and guidelines last until August 1 along with the caveat that teams will only be allowed to move through each phase as long as COVID-19 cases do not occur or spike.
Scoular also reported the SDHSAA is planning for a full fall sports season for 2020-2021.