Texas High School Students Back On Courts & Fields As UIL Coronavirus Guidelines Allow For Organized Workouts
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - With a little more than a month to go before the start of the school year, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) has released guidelines to help teams navigate practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arlington High School kicked off its approved workouts Monday morning at 6:30.
Head football coach and athletic coordinator Scott Peach told CBS 11 News he's excited to resume the schedule after the UIL initially asked schools to press pause because of reports of COVID 19 cases.
Coach Peach and his staff strategically planned three rotating groups of weight training, a running station and football drills. In allowing space for social distancing they recognize there is a need to coach athletes under different circumstances, to maintain their goal to keep everyone safe.
He's hopeful these workouts will be able to usher in the Friday Night Lights as normal, because he says it's the best way they can keep track of their athletes.
"I think our kids need to have the opportunity to be with us. Because, I really think we're the safest ones for them. Our kids are running around sometimes, in our community, and whether or not they're doing social distancing we don't know. We know when there with us and they're competing athletically at the public high school high school level in 6A football. We're going to do it right, we're gonna to protect our boys and so because of that we're hopeful that we get the chance," Coach Peach said.
As part of the UIL guideline players, coaches and parents will have to wear a face covering when they enter the facility. However, athletes can remove their masks whenever they're exercising. The UIL oversees all athletic, musical, and academic contests in the state of Texas.
Official sports practices begin August 3.