Under new guidance from the California State Department of Public Health, both youth and adult team sports can resume practice and competition beginning Friday.
To paraphrase Prince’s tune “Nothing Compares 2 U,” it’s been 10 months and eight days since they took the sports away. But this Saturday the pandemic hiatus is set to end when the Claremont High School cross country team travels to Ayala for a dual meet. Maybe.
As of Wednesday evening, the approval for the meet had not been finalized. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
The executive board of the California Interscholastic Federation issued a statement this week announcing that the California Department of Public Health has given the go ahead for high school sports competition to resume on January 25, 2021. The statement also includes detailed guidelines for each sport to return to play in the safest way possible.
The deteriorating situation related to the spread of the coronavirus in the state has now reached our local high school sports, with the California Interscholastic Federation announcing Tuesday that all regional and state championships for fall sports would be called off.
Claremont High School’s football coach, Shane Hile, wants to get a custom tee shirt made—on the front it will say “keep eight feet apart,” and on the back “wipe everything down.”
Such are the new mantras of a coach trying to organize an orderly practice during the pandemic while keeping his team healthy and safe.
“We play it eight feet apart instead of six,” Coach Hile said. “We have spray bottles and towels out there. Every time somebody uses a bar they spray and wipe it down. Safety obviously is the biggest priority right now.”
The city’s human services department has witnessed a surge in the usage of both tennis and pickleball courts over the last few weeks. This surge is most likely attributed to the recent closure of the Claremont Club and the desire of the community to get outdoors and exercise.
With the coronavirus showing no signs of abating and the beginning of fall sports for thousands of high School athletes just a few weeks away, the California Interscholastic Federation announced Monday the season will be delayed until December. The CIF’s decision came as no surprise after last Friday’s announcement from the Los Angels County Department of Public Health. School districts cannot resume in-person classes for the upcoming fall semester.
Sports is in the news. Not who won the game or scored the most, but whether sports can return to form during the middle of a pandemic. With the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, college and high schools all looking to try and start their seasons, many wonder if it could—or should—happen at all. But that won't stop teams who need to practice, even if the future is murky. Here's a an aerial perspective from CHS one late afternoon.
The California Interscholastic Federation announced last week that it will make a decision about the future of fall high school sports on July 20. In a news release sent out on Friday, CIF officials said that several options were being considered, but they remain committed to holding fall, winter and spring sporting competitions. The biggest concern for most coaches and athletes is the ever shrinking time for pre-season conditioning as the stay-at-home order keeps facilities including locker and weight rooms closed.
“Senior night” is a tradition in high school sports where graduating athletes are honored during the final regular season home game. Under normal circumstances, seniors collect at center court (or field) to be presented with a small token, perhaps some flowers, while their sporting resume is read aloud. However, when all spring sports were cancelled due to the coronavirus, “senior night” was another lost moment for the class of 2020. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
The Claremont High School football team is selling Wolfpack face coverings to raise money for the upcoming season.
CHS football has teamed up with MVP Fundraising in a campaign that is currently open and ends on June 3.
Palomares League most valuable player and first team awards were announced last month with several Claremont athletes getting deserved accolades.
Boys soccer received both the offense MVP, Jack Englenbert, and defense MVP, Caleb Green. First team honorees are: Sajjad Alobaidi, Jared DeMott, Ethan Maio and Cole Burdette. Boys basketball first team honoree is Jacob Lopez.
When Claremont public schools closed last week because of the spread of the coronavirus, Claremont High School’s spring sports season vanished into thin air. Under a threatening sky Monday morning, the football field at CHS was all set for a track and field meet with Ayala. One that will never happen. The tennis courts and the gym are similarly idled.
Across the country, NCAA basketball tournaments, professional basketball, baseball, soccer and many others have been canceled or delayed.
Pomona-Pitzer men’s basketball has made it into the final 16 of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history, according to a news release from Sagehen Athletics.
Pomona-Pitzer defeated No. 10 ranked Emory Eagles, 71-70, after a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Jack Boyle on Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia.
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