Earlier in the year, I wrote about the current status of athletics at Archbishop Mitty and the road back that fans, coaches, and players would have to face. Unfortunately, since then, more obstacles have been added to that road. 

On December 14, the California Department of Public Health (CDHP) published an updated guide detailing the rules and regulations for recreational sports as the state moves forward in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. The document outlines that inter-team athletic competition will not be allowed until January 25 at the earliest, signaling a delay of the starting date for both sports seasons. Originally, the first season of California high school athletics was scheduled to begin on December 14–the date the updated guidelines were released–but as of right now, the start date is up in the air.

One thing is for sure though, in order for athletics to return at large, Santa Clara County must progress out of the purple tier–the most serious of the California COVID-19 county tiers. The CDHP concluded their announcement with a developed chart placing each sport into categories ranging from outdoor low-contact sports to indoor high contact sports and outlining which sports would be allowed to occur in each of the four county tiers. In the purple tier, outdoor low-contact sports such as cross country, swimming and diving, and track and field are permitted. In the red tier, outdoor moderate-contact sports such as baseball, field hockey, and lacrosse can return. In the orange tier, we could see the return of both outdoor high contact sports like football and soccer as well as indoor low-contact sports such as volleyball. Finally, if a county can progress into the yellow tier, both indoor moderate and high contact sports including basketball can be reintroduced.

The road back may have gotten increasingly more difficult, but despite the chaos and confusion surrounding the status of their seasons, Mitty athletes remain hard at work, ready to capitalize if given the opportunity to play, and they need our help. So, wear a mask, stay inside, and stay safe, and hopefully, we can bring sports back.

If you are interested in reading the announcement from the CDHP and viewing the chart in-depth you can visit this link.

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/outdoor-indoor-recreational-sports.aspx