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Snyder High School senior Martin Castellon, junior Kyler Teakell and sophomore Dylan Angeley stretch before a morning workout in the Snyder indoor complex earlier this summer. The UIL released new guidelines for summer workouts that mandate all athletes and coaches wear face masks and allow athletes access to the locker rooms.
Following University Interscholastic League (UIL) guidance, Snyder student-athletes will continue their summer workout programs next week while Hermleigh has decided to pause workouts until August. Ira officials are still considering their options.
Shortly after the UIL began to allow schools to conduct summer strength and conditioning workouts in early June, COVID-19 cases in Texas began to rise and many Texas high schools cancelled the workouts after COVID-19 exposures among student-athletes.
Snyder’s girls’ program was among them.
Snyder, Hermleigh and Ira spent last week on a break from summer workouts.
Snyder’s boys will resume workouts on Monday with the girls following on Tuesday after a two week hiatus. Hermleigh ISD announced Friday that all remaining summer workouts are cancelled.
“Due to the continued increase of COVID-19 in our area and in an effort to mitigate the spread so that we can begin our regularly scheduled workouts on August 3rd, Hermleigh ISD will cancel all summer strength and conditioning programs for the remainder of the summer,” the school district wrote in a social media post.
Due to growing number of positive tests and potential exposures statewide, the UIL suggested schools suspend summer workouts on July 1, but did not make the suspension mandatory. Under new guidelines released Wednesday, the UIL made adjustments to existing policies.
Those guidelines will take effect on Monday. In accordance with Governor Greg Abbott’s face mask mandate, all athletes, coaches and faculty members will be required to wear masks when in an area where UIL activities are being conducted. Athletes who are actively participating in a workout do not have to wear the mask, but must put it back on in between workouts. Masks must be worn on entry and exit of the building.
While masks are now a requirement, the UIL is allowing programs to participate in workouts that were off limits earlier this summer. Athletes may now engage in drills that involve one or more students on both offense and defense. Another change will allow students access to locker rooms. Another update released Friday morning will allow students that are participating in remote learning to compete in UIL events, provided they meet UIL eligibility requirements.