Dear Paly Athletic Community,

We are happy to announce the reopening of our outdoor athletic facilities on Monday, September 14th.  While the restart is an ongoing process, we are excited at the chance to get back to doing what we love: working with your children.

Santa Clara county is currently in the “Widespread” or Purple Tier in California’s guide to reopening (more information can be found here).  So in keeping with county guidelines and best practices, we will be adopting the following measures to ensure safe conditions for both students and staff:

 

• Everything Is Outside – All workouts will be conducted outside (pool, track, fields, etc.) There will be no access to the indoor facilities.

 

• Health Screening Protocol – At each workout, every athlete and coach will submit a self-screen health form through their smart device or with their coach.  This will ensure that everyone attending workouts is healthy and safe.  If a student(s) is not feeling well, they should not attend practice – contact your coach and/or trainer to let them know of your condition.

 

• Cohorts of 14 – All athletic groups will be kept at 14 or fewer. Spacing between cohorts will be kept at 25 ft. Individuals within a cohort should remain at least 6 ft apart.

 

• Cohorts Cannot Change – Once a student is part of a cohort, they cannot join another cohort for 3 weeks after leaving the first cohort. This means that athletes can attend multiple team workouts as long as they stay within the same group.

 

• Group Scheduling – Cohorts will be assigned a time and place for their workouts. Once assigned a group, an athlete must stay within that group. Switching or mixing groups is prohibited.

 

• Masks – Coaches will wear a mask while they are working with their athletes. Athletes must wear masks to and from practice (but not during workouts).

 

• Equipment Access – No equipment will be shared between athletes within a cohort, or between cohorts on the same day. Any equipment used must be cleaned after the workout is completed.

 

• Water – Every athlete must bring their own water bottle.
  Bathrooms – Will be available for one athlete at a time. Locker Rooms will not be open.

 

• Locker Rooms – Will not be open. All personal belongings will need to be placed 6 feet apart in designated areas.

 

• Athletic Trainers – Will not be onsite during workouts but can be contacted by email.

Please check palysports.com for practice times and locations.  You can also visit the staff directory to reach to contact a coach directly.

It will be important to note that we ask all our students-athletes to refrain from socializing on campus before or after workouts. While we understand it will be very natural for our students and coaches to want to bond and share, it is important that we all do our part to ensure our return to play is both fun and safe. And as always, we will continue to provide updates as they come. Thank you for your understanding and patience. We are in this together.

 

Sincerely,

Nelson Gifford

Athletic Director

Palo Alto High School