UW-Stout's COVID-19 Coronavirus Planning and Preparedness
MENOMONIE (October 5, 2020) – How does a coaching staff go about coaching their team when the competitive season has been canceled or the start of the season has been pushed back several months? Practices and even face-to-face meetings have been curtailed.
The coaching staff of each of the UW-Stout athletic programs is working to answer that question.
Lucas Carroll and Garett Giertuga in the
weight room.
With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc with competitive contests due to cancellations of championship events by both the NCAA and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), Blue Devil coaches are working to build their teams. And in particular assimilating the freshmen and transfers into their teams.
When the University went to alternative learning methods in March, Blue Devil athletic teams gathered virtually using Zoom calls and Microsoft Teams meetings to stay in touch. The virtual meeting continued throughout the summer and into the fall as freshmen joined the rosters. But virtual meetings are not the same as face-to-face contact and the various programs have adopted different methods once classes resumed this fall.
The Blue Devil athletic programs have had no sanctioned practice or get-togethers since classes started on Sept. 9. This has allowed the students to get acclimated with their class schedule and their living arrangements.
The football program utilized a Big Brother program, assigning a returner to a freshman to keep in contact with. The volleyball program has put together a similar program, pairing a returner with a newcomer and having the pair simply take a socially distanced walk.
Individual workouts by reservation were first made available in August and continued into the school year. Small groups of athletes began to voluntarily work out together informally, albeit with proper social distance and with proper face coverings.
Social distancing and mask wearing are a key to getting teams back together. Almost all teams held a social-distanced first meeting outside, in a big circle or spread out over a large outdoor space.
Now, a small shift is on.
"Our main goal is to begin engaging our freshmen and younger student-athletes living on campus with sports skill development," UW-Stout athletic director
Duey Naatz said. "Smaller groups and pods will be utilized to maintain safety and to follow protocol."
Testing, per NCAA and WIAC recommendations, will be important to the success of the Blue Devils' efforts. UW-Stout is currently testing all students living on-campus, including student-athletes. Off-campus students are utilizing student health services or local clinics to get tested if they become symptomatic or are a close contact.
"All student-athletes must be tested at least once before participating in allowable countable days, excluding team meetings and film sessions," Naatz said. "Campus testing strategies and student-athletes who obtain an Antigen or PCR test independently, after their arrival to campus, are considered permissible and fulfills the initial baseline testing requirements."
Small group workouts with on-campus student-athletes who have been tested can begin once completion of testing is verified.
"Returning student-athletes will be phased in later, team-by-team, once everyone with each program has been tested," Naatz said.
A strict regimen will be maintained for all group workouts.
Brianna Prieve wipes down equipment
All individuals, including inner-bubble team personnel, will be masked. Physical distance at a minimum of six feet should be maintained. Hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer prior to and at the end of the activity will be encouraged. All equipment and surfaces will be sanitized at the end of the activity.
Outdoor spaces will be utilized when available. Symptomatic individuals will be tested in accordance with institutional policy. Surveillance testing is required for those sports in which social distancing cannot be maintained. Teams found to not be following protocol and established guidelines will be shut down.
"The safety of our student-athletes and the entire Stout and Menomonie communities is our primary concern and responsibility," Naatz said. "With these steps, we can move one step closer to returning to competition."
The NCAA canceled fall championships in early August. The WIAC canceled fall championships and competition in late July, then opted to suspend all winter sports through Dec. 31, 2020.
