Due to the Coronavirus pandemic many athletes are left in the dark about when or if they will play during the upcoming spring season. Recently, CIF has released new guidelines for high school athletes correlating with COVID-19 updates as of January 19. 

CIF’s new guidelines include information on which sports are allowed to be played in which counties in southern California. The counties are given a ranking based on the number of cases each county has.

Each county is given a ranking of either widespread, substantial, moderate or minimal in terms of COVID-19 cases. As of January 19th, all but four counties are ranked in the widespread category, these counties all being in northern California. 

Each category allows different sports. As Los Angeles County is in the widespread ranking, it allows Saugus High School to participate in sports such as Cross Country, Golf, Swim and Dive, and Track and Field. 

This past week CIF also announced that California Southern section Prelims and Finals is expected to be canceled. Some sports such as track and field, cross country, golf and tennis are the only sports allowed to continue to play. Luckily this can now happen as Governor Gavin Newsom lifted the stay at home order on January 25.

Saugus High School, however, has been allowed back on campus for conditioning by the Hart District. Athletic director Brandon Marcia stated, “Now that we have been given the green light to resume voluntary athletic conditioning, our current practices for fall and spring sports will operate within the safety guidelines outlined by CIF and LA County.” 

Although the campus has allowed conditioning to start again, practices, games and meets are still not approved. According to Saugus athletic Director Geoge Lopata, Saugus must first get permission to play from Los Angeles county and then the Hat district even though the statewide stay at home order has been lifted.

Fall sports are allowed to condition in cohorts or pods, staying six feet apart and wearing masks. Any athlete that does not want to condition should know that any participation is not mandatory and is not required to condition at the school if they do not feel safe doing so. 

Students in fall sports should remain hopeful though. “Although CIF-SS prelims and finals were cancelled for fall season sports, those programs will continue to work and condition safely…to prepare for a successful league season” stated Marcia.