Any other So Cal high school cross country coaches have races this weekend where there are clear plans on whether the runners are racing with or without masks?
California has been one of the last states to allow high school cross country races this academic year. The first races were finally permitted in early February. When CIF-Southern Section issued COVID protocols in late January they clearly said that masks were to be worn by cross country athletes "other than when engaged in competition." In other words, CIF said masks were not required during the race.
A couple days ago on February 16, L.A. County Dept of Public Health released a "Protocol for Youth and Adult Recreational Sports Leagues" that states:
"All participants, coaches, support staff, family members and visitors are required to wear an appropriate mask that covers the nose and the mouth at all times, except while swimming, showering, eating/drinking, or engaging in solo physical exertion (such as jogging by one’s self)."
We have our first cross country meet of the year this Saturday and our A.D. says the runners will have to race in masks, as LA County DPH takes precedence over CIF. This would be killer for the kids to wear masks during a 3-mile race. Any other So Cal coaches have races this weekend where there are clear plans on whether the runners are racing with or without masks?
Masks during high school cross country races in Los Angeles County
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Disposable paper masks are not going to create any issues. Are they annoying? Yes. Sort of uncomfortable? Again, yes. Are they going to create deaths and heart attacks because the impede the ability to take in oxygen? No. There are YouTube videos showing hospital workers wearing multiple masks while hooked to a pulse oximeter and their oxygen saturation levels do not change one iota. You can use some tape on the inside of the mask to create a frame to keep the athlete from sucking the mask into their mouth upon heavy inhalation.
The alternative is just to scrap the whole season for these kids. If you are dealing with state and local health officials, you will not win that battle. Decide what's best for your athletes: a chance to race under the conditions or sitting it out. -
Is one single case of Covid gonna be prevented by wearing a cheap disposable mask during a race? No.
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Agree. TSA security theater doesn't really do anything to reduce terrorism on airliners either but, we are required to remove our shoes and belts plus step into a scanner before we are allowed to get on a plane. The bottom line is that you have to acquiesce to certain government demands in order to play, run, fly, etc. We can debate conceptual ideas about freedom and efficacy but, it doesn't matter in the end when you do not have the power. This is realpolitik and not some high school civics thought exercise. No complaint from high school coaches is going to get a career bureaucrat to reverse their decision in a hard hit state like California. It's too late in the game for a lawsuit to work its way through the courts. High school sports are not considered a fundamental right. (Spare us the "pursuit of happiness" bull***t. They doesn't fly in a real courtroom where you have to prove actual damages.)
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I'm not interested in a lawsuit; I just want the kids to be able to run a cross country race without masks. A cross country race is tough enough without the mask.
I'm wondering if the "engaging in solo physical exertion (such as jogging by one's self)" might be the escape clause that permits them to run maskless. Just wondering if other So Cal XC coaches have a plan for upcoming HS XC races, to mask or not to mask during the race. -
In San Diego we've been racing without masks. We're allowed to do our warmup without masks as well.
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Why are you even trying to have a XC season? Why not just start track?
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iamconfused wrote:
Why are you even trying to have a XC season? Why not just start track?
We're having cross country since there are key differences from track:
- Team dynamic and scoring in XC is quite different from track
- Some of the runners won't do track since they're doing some other sport in the spring
- Runners have been preparing for cross country season for months, so is nice to finally give them a race.
- Race now since there's always the uncertainty whether an injury or something else will impact track racing. -
iamconfused wrote:
Why are you even trying to have a XC season? Why not just start track?
You do know they are different sports, right? There are kids who signed up for the XC team and most coaches I would imagine would like to get those kids a chance to compete in the sport they signed up for.
