Athletics

Fall sports practices for cheerleading, cross country, football and volleyball will begin on Monday, August 17.

For the 2020-21 School year, ALL ATHLETES must have a physical on file dated after Feb 1, 2019.

You can find the physical form here...Physical Form.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We wish you good health and safety during this historic time. As summer contact for Columbia
Public Schools athletics and activities is set to begin on June 1, on behalf of coaches, directors
and administrators it is important that we communicate with you some plans and precautions to
ensure to the best of our abilities the safety and health of our students and families. All the
established guidelines and protective measures have the following goals at their core:

1. Ensure the safety of all of our students and staff at all times.
2. Ensure the return to school in August to the fullest extent possible.
3. Ensure the opportunity to participate in the Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons next school
year.

What you can expect in the coming days and weeks is communication from program coaches
and directors regarding any activity that will take place under the guidelines established by CPS
and aligned with the current Boone County Health Order. As these various activities unfold, it is
important to communicate pertinent information to protect the health and well-being of all parties
throughout the duration of the summer months as it pertains to participation in athletics and
activities.

First and foremost, we want to emphasize that any summer participation in CPS programs is
voluntary. By no means is it an expectation or requirement that your child participate in any
given activity. To best protect your child, any participation in a practice or competition should be
to the level of your own comfort. We have provided an in-depth set of guidelines and protective
measures to our coaches and directors that seeks to protect the health of all our students to the
greatest extent possible.

Coaches and directors will communicate directly with families how the guidelines will impact
their particular program and what measures will be specifically taken in regard to participation in
their sport or activity. We want to assure you that all guidelines provided by Columbia Public
Schools align with the guidelines and recommendations provided by the Boone County Health
Department (BCHD), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and National
Federation of High Schools (NFHS) as it relates to sport and activity.

We request that you closely monitor the health and hygiene of your child throughout the
summer months. Every student involved in a sport or activity should practice diligent hygienic
habits, including but not limited to hand-washing before and after any participation, proper
bathing and cleansing after any activity, and sufficient cleaning of any clothing, uniforms, or
equipment related to a sport or activity. This is the most effective way to ensure that your
student is safe from the contraction or spread of COVID-19.

In addition, you should also be observant for any symptoms related to COVID-19. Coaches and
directors have been provided a list of “look-fors” as it relates to symptoms of the virus. We urge
you to also closely monitor your student for the presence of any symptoms that could be tied to
the COVID-19 virus. We request, to the extent that you are able, to take your child’s
temperature prior to participation in each activity. If your child registers a temperature of 100.4
degrees Fahrenheit or higher, or displays any other symptoms, please keep your child at home.
Coaches and directors will also be supplied with a list of screening questions that will be
administered to your student prior to participation in any activity. We have instructed coaches
and directors that if a student displays any symptoms or responds to screening questions
indicating the presence of any symptoms related to the virus that they be sent home
immediately.

All coaches and directors have also been provided a set of guidelines and protective measures
that pertain to the safe practice and implementation of their sport or activity based on guidelines
presented by the BCHD, CDC and NFHS. Coaches and directors will be expected to adhere to
these guidelines at all times, which include but are not limited to, practicing physical distancing
to the greatest extent possible, limiting the use of shared equipment, as well as the sanitation of
equipment before, during, and after any activity.

The health and safety of students and staff is our top priority. Your partnership in monitoring the
health and hygiene of your child will greatly assist the efforts of coaches and directors as they
begin in-person activity with their program as early as June 1.

Respectfully,
CPS Athletics & Activities