Bethany Schools Releases Summer 2020 Athletic Policy

May 22, 2020

In light of the current situation regarding COVID-19 the Bethany Schools Adminstrative team has released the following guidelines for the summer of 2020. Questions on the policy can be directed to the head coach of your sport to to Athletic Director, Jon Arthur. Today, the OSSAA board voted to reject a proposal to give every school a uniform set of policies, so this policy has been made by BPS for the health and safety of all people involved.

June 1-14

• HS & MS athletes are able to participate in “small group” type settings for sports in our school facilities with coaches present.
• This small group work would be no more than 10 athletes together at any time and social distancing measures must be in place (six feet apart, hand washing, etc.)
• A majority of work should be done outside if at all possible. Obviously this is not possible with all sports, but should be done where it can be. No “scrimmaging” will be allowed during this time period.
• Athletes or coaches who are coming to the facility for any reason during this time period will have their temperature taken. If their temperature is 100.4 or above they will be required to return home and encouraged to speak with their primary care doctor.
• Facilities will be sanitized daily during this time period and all participants are encouraged to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer at least once every 60 minutes.
• Hand sanitizer will be available to participants at all times.
• Athletes will need to bring their own water bottle and are asked to not share with anyone under any circumstance.
• Coaches are being instructed that athletes who do not attend because they or their parents are not comfortable with the health risks will not receive any consequences or be held responsible in the future for non-participation.

June 15-June 26

• Performance Course begins on June 15 - Two Sessions
  • HS Boys  - 7:00 - 8:30 AM
  • MS Boys / HS & MS Girls - 8:45 - 10:00 AM
  • Cost - $150 (7 Week Program)
  • Sign up will be posted at www.BethanyBronchos.com in the coming days.
  • For PC - Athletes or coaches who are coming to the facility for any reason during this time period will have their temperature taken. If their temperature is 100.4 or above they will be required to return home and encouraged to speak with their primary care doctor.
• On this date you can begin having team practices based on OSSAA regulations for your sport. This may include scrimmaging, but continue to practice social distancing where possible and make sure kids have adequate resources to wash hands and things like that. This needs to be a maximum of 90 minutes per day for an athlete in a sport to allow multi-sport athletes the chance to work in each sport they participate in.
• Team Camps - These will possibly be allowed during this period pending the State of Oklahoma moving to Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan, but we will have to wait and see official word from them. Coaches are free to schedule team camps within this policy as long as players and parents are notified that phase 3 may be delayed by the state which would cause camps to get canceled.
• Facilities will be sanitized daily during this time period and all participants are encouraged to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer at least once every 60 minutes.
• Hand sanitizer will be available to participants at all times.
• Athletes will need to bring their own water bottle and are asked to not share with anyone under any circumstances.
• Coaches are being instructed that athletes who do not attend because they or their parents are not comfortable with the health risks will not receive any consequences or be held responsible in the future for non-participation.

June 27 - July 5

• The OSSAA dead period is now in effect since their summer proposal was not passed. No athletic activities will be allowed during this period. Nor will any contact between players and coaches or between players and school facilities be allowed.
• If the OSSAA decides at the next board meeting to negate the dead period for this year this time period will fall into the category below.
• Also, if the dead period is negated there will be Performance Course during the week of June 29-July 2, but there will be no session on Friday, July 3 due to the Independence Day holiday.

July 6 - July 31

• No restrictions assuming state has progressed out of the re-opening phases back to “normal” operation. This may continue to include scrimmages against other schools and or practices/open gyms/etc.
• The ability to have fans/spectators at events during this period will be announced at a later date based on the reopening progress in the state.
• July 15 is the start date for fall sports in terms of practice (with the exception of football)...make sure nothing you are doing for a sport after this date will be detrimental to our athletes that participate in fall sports. 
• Practice start dates:
  • July 15 - Softball, Volleyball, Cross Country
  • August 10 - Football
  • October 1 - Basketball, Swimming
  • December 1 - Baseball, Soccer, Track & Field, Golf
• You are allowed to have small groups doing things during this time period as open gym shoot-a-rounds, batting cage work, skill development, but those activities should not be detrimental to an athlete participating in a fall sport and they should not be full team practices with the coaches providing instruction.