Youth sports, including high school athletics, can resume games and scrimmages on Jan. 14, per Minnesota Department of Health guidelines. Practices for the sports can resume on Jan. 4.
“The decision to resume sports does not mean engaging in sports is without risk. Any time you gather with other people, you are putting yourself and others at risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,” the guidance reads. “COVID-19 can lead to serious medical conditions and even death for people of all ages. We cannot predict who will become severely ill, although we know that older people and people with underlying health conditions are at higher risk. We do not yet know what the long-term effects of COVID-19 are; even people with mild cases may experience long-term complications. People with symptoms and without symptoms can spread COVID-19. The masking, distancing and other guidance provided here is intended to reduce the risk of transmission, but does not eliminate it.”
Face coverings will be required for athletes competing in practices and games except in wrestling, swimming and diving, gymnastics and cheerleading, for fear of them becoming a choking hazard, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
This means basketball and hockey players will have to compete in face coverings, something many schools in Western Wisconsin have been doing in many sports since the start of the school year. Michigan mandated masks in football, volleyball and soccer. Many state in the Northeast portion of the country have mandated masks during competitions, as has North Carolina.
“People are not permitted to remove their face coverings during activities that involve a high level of exertion,” the guidance reads.
The World Health Organization website says that “even when you’re in an area of COVID-19 transmission, masks should not be worn during vigorous physical activity because of the risk of reducing your breathing capacity.”
But Susan Hopkins, a professor of medicine and radiology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, told the Associated Press wearing masks does not impact your breathing.
“It’s doing very little, if anything, to your physiology,” Hopkins said.
“All of the evidence we’ve been able to assemble is that it’s your perception of breathing that it affects. Some people may find that distressing,” said Hopkins, who specializes in exercise physiology and the study of lungs under stress. “After three months practicing in it, most athletes should be used to it.”
Woodbury boys basketball coach Kent Getzlaff noted that no one, if given their preference, would choose to wear a mask during cardio exercise.
“But if your choice is to have a season with masks or don’t play, everyone involved would choose to wear masks,” he said.
A few Woodbury alums who are now participating in college sports have hopped on virtual calls with the team in recent weeks to discuss their experiences with wearing masks in practices or workouts with the current high school players and share a few tips.
Getzlaff has advised his players to try a few different masks between now and Jan. 4, and see how they feel while doing a bit of cardio to get a feel for what to expect.
“Because no one actually knows what this is going to be like,” he said.
Jan. 14 was the earliest most Minnesota State High School League sports could resume given the Jan. 4 practice start and the League’s mandatory 10-day practice period to start seasons. The MSHSL previously stated it would be ready to resume competitions as soon as the state allowed.
Practices cannot exceed pod sizes of 25. More guidance on game play is expected.
Getzlaff said Monday’s virtual meeting with his team was the first day he could “sense some excitement.”
“You could kind of see their wheels turning a bit, like they were processing it,” he said. “Like, ‘OK, there’s an actual date that we have to look forward to.’ ”
You can view the entire guidance here.
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