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Phased plan begins Monday to resume athletic activity on RFSD grounds

Staff report
Basalt High School football plays against Battle Mountain on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, on the BHS field. The Longhorns won, 28-0. (Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Student-athletes in the Roaring Fork School District may resume voluntary sports workouts using outdoor school facilities starting Monday, but with strict health precautions in place to protect against coronavirus spread.

School district officials announced Friday that they have developed a phased plan to return to athletic participation, based on local and state health and safety requirements and recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The plan was reviewed by the public health departments in Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle counties, according to a district news release. It will involve a tiered return to sports activities through the summer, leading up to a tentative start to formal practices in August, depending on where things stand at that point.



Athletic participation during phase one this summer for schools in Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Basalt will require:

— All coaches and students to be screened for COVID-19 signs and symptoms before participating in each workout.




— All workouts will be held outside; there will not be access to locker facilities, weight rooms and gyms.

— All activities must adhere to a maximum of 10 people, reflecting the most restrictive local requirement currently in place (This number may change as public health requirements change).

— All workouts will be conducted in student cohorts to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

— Social distancing must be maintained, and masks must be worn unless the activity is exempted (swimming, distance running and high-intensity aerobic activity).

— All participants must use their own equipment for ball sports; all shared equipment, such as weights, must be sanitized before and after use.

“Plans for phases two and three become increasingly less restrictive in conjunction with the continued reopening and expansion of activities in our community,” the news release states. “The district reserves the right to change the restrictions and requirements outlined in this document as needed to support the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and the broader community.”

All summer workouts are voluntary for students, per Colorado High School Activities Association bylaws, and coaches. Students who choose to participate in RFSD athletic activities over the summer must complete a waiver.