This fall at Miami Palmetto Senior High, sports will be very different due to the changes brought on by COVID-19. The fall sports at Palmetto include football, volleyball, cross country, bowling, golf and swimming. 

The pre-seasoning conditioning phase, also known as phase one, is currently taking place, and coaches remain unsure when the athletes can attend their first practice.

 According to cross-country athlete Camryn Givens, this year is very different from the rest.  

“We must wear a mask the whole time, we are all practicing social distancing and we all have to have a gallon of water to bring,” Givens said.

Similar precautions are being made on the football field, volleyball courts and other fall sport settings. Examples of precautions taken include athletes practicing in groups of only nine students, following social distancing guidelines, exercising outside, passing a health waiver and limiting equipment use. 

The football team has about 60 players. At the moment, they are splitting up into groups of nine with one coach for each group and going to different sides of the fields, and must be wearing masks at all times. Junior Varsity is currently not playing.

The teams are in pre-season conditioning so only conditioning is a go. Football related drills like throwing a football, punting, catching and more, are not an option.

Coaches are required to take health precautions such as health reading assessments which includes checking their temperatures, answering questions by the county and monitoring how they feel. These precautions are similar to the student safety measures.

“I personally believe our guidelines that were in place are the best we can do. Miami- Dade County public schools have guidelines for us to follow and expectations,” Palmetto athletic director Steve Batten said. “I actually believe they are being followed at a higher rate than what the neighborhood and what society is following.”