Gilmer High School football players were back on the field Monday after conditioning was suspended July 16.
The hiatus came following a spike in confirmed COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the county. Along with softball, volleyball, cheerleading and cross-country, all fall sports are now continuing with their preseason preparations.
“We still have some individuals that aren’t back yet, but team wise we’re good,” said GHS athletic director Matt Johnson. “Football is doing weight training in the morning and they’re having practice in the afternoons. All the other sports are practicing in the afternoons as well.”
Last week the Georgia High School Association continued to ease its conditioning restrictions. Athletes are now permitted to use locker rooms and showers and conditioning groups are not limited by number of participants. Before last week, conditioning groups were capped at 50 total participants.
Competitions between schools are still prohibited, and GHS facilities will continue to be sanitized and cleaned daily.
“We’ve stayed on top of cleaning the entire time and continue to clean after any usage of an any area,” Johnson said. “The field house has been cleaned multiple times dating all the way back to March. Nobody has really been in there except coaches occasionally.”
The football team issued helmets Monday. If all goes as planned, they will don shoulder pads next Monday, Aug. 3. GHS softball is set to open its season Aug. 8 and volleyball will take the court Aug. 10.