SPORTS TEAMS COVID UPDATES

As we all know, COVID has not gone away, although some of the procedures surrounding quarantines and close contacts have changed from last year.
First item: Masks on the bus - Masks are required by anyone on the bus, regardless of vaccination status. Please make sure your athlete has a mask before leaving on game day. The office has a very limited supply, and they are here for students that need them in the building during the day. The athletic department also has some masks available as a last resort, but the athletes should be remembering their own.
Second item: Close contacts, positive cases and quarantines – If an athlete is sent home as a close contact with another family member for five school days they must also quarantine from any school sponsored activities at that time. Anyone sent home as a close contact should not attend as a spectator either. If a student gets sent home on a Wednesday they should not be dressing, attending or playing for something on Saturday. This also applies to elementary sports.
Third item: Return to play – MSHSL has a very specific and lengthy Return to Play protocol recommendation for after a positive COVID diagnosis. The recommendation allows for a little extra room for local control. However, it does require clearance from a parent and athletic trainer. When an athlete comes back from a positive diagnosis, the trainer will put the athlete through a series of tests to make sure we are not putting the athlete in a situation that is dangerous.
COVID is currently treated the same as any injury in accordance with the MSHSL and their medical advisory board. This means an athlete coming back on Thursday will not be guaranteed to play on Friday, etc. Coaches are also given the flexibility to limit an athlete’s playing time based on number of missed practices. This is not a one-size-fits-all rule and is up to the coach’s discretion. They make the ultimate decision for missed practices and I will support their decisions. Seven days of missed practice will not affect all positions the same. This is not meant as a punishment but is for their safety.
If you know that you have an athlete returning from a positive COVID diagnosis, please send them back to school with the proper form completed. As you read through it, you will see the stages of return to play. Not all students will return at Stage 1. Some students may be ready to come back at stage 6. Parents can select their recommendation, but the ultimate decision with be that of the trainer, coaches and athletic director.
The form can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K66JHDqyl64k5pSXuY5T_fvIGdS8GpblHbv-...

Please reach out if you have any questions.
Cari Pohlen
Activities Director/Community Education
Minneota Public Schools
Phone: 507-872-6175
Email: cari.pohlen@minneotaschools.org