Protocols for Waukee Athletic Events – Updated January 8

January 8 Update – Although the Governor’s proclamation did lift some restrictions to attend high school sporting events, we are still following social distancing guidelines as well as mandatory mask requirements. As a result, we will have 4 spectators per player for home athletes and 2 spectators per player for visiting teams, home cheerleaders and dance members. We are reviewing our capacity in our venues to ensure that we abide by social distancing guidelines established by the Governor, Dallas County Health Department and CDC guidelines. As always, we appreciate the support from our community in helping to keep our student athletes and fans safe.

The Waukee Activities Department has developed COVID-19 protocols at all events in our district.

To see how our facilities will be setup for home events, please watch the video tab associated with this story.

 

Sport-by-sport Breakdown

Wrestling

  1. Practice
    • Staggered changing for the start of practice
    • Kids must be masked while in locker room
    • Wrestling in assigned pods – for contact tracing
    • Kids can wear a mask – don’t have to while wrestling
    • Coaches will be masked at all times
    • Frequent breaks for sanitizing – 15 minutes intervals
    • No sharing of any items (water bottles/ towels etc.)
    • Cleaning of mats before and after practice – already a practice
  2. Meet Night
    • Weigh in by team – each team will have a scale to weigh in – all athletes and coaches will be masked during this process
    • Weigh ins will take place in the wrestling room to provide more space to distance
    • Coaches and athletes not wrestling will be required to wear a masks
    • Two mat systems will be used to alternate and clean throughout the competition
    • Hand sanitizer will be provided at the scorers table
    • Team camps will be designated in gym
  3. Spectator Protocols
    • All spectators are required to wear a protective face covering for admission and throughout the duration of the contest. 
    • Travel Squad Limitations: 
      • The wrestlers from the visiting school will only travel if they have a match that night 
      • The visiting wrestlers will be encouraged to leave following the JV meet if travel allows with a parent or the school’s transportation. 
      • Three coaches on the bench for JV Matches and three coaches on the bench for varsity matches 
      • One manager per mat 
    • Schools will be allowed two (2) tickets per participant in uniform and two per coach at each level throughout the season. This roster spot will allow the spectator to purchase a ticket for  admission or use a school specific pass to gain entrance for the contest. The ticket only allows an individual to purchase admission and has no cash value and may only be used at the venue and event listed (i.e. varsity tickets may only be used at the varsity contest). 
    • No visiting cheerleaders 
    • No Pep Band performance will be allowed 

 

Basketball

  1. Practice 
    • Staggered changing for the start of practice
      • Kids must be masked while in locker room
      • Temperatures are taken each night and recorded
      • Kids have toiletry bags for their water bottle/ face coverings etc.
      • Bring own water bottle
    • Kids will wear a mask – can be removed during scrimmage sessions
    • Coaches will be masked at all times
    • Frequent breaks for sanitizing – 15 minutes intervals
    • Cleaning of balls after practice
    • No sharing of any items (water bottles/ towels etc.)
  2. Game Nights
    • All spectators are required to wear a protective face covering for admission and throughout the duration of the contest. 
    • Travel Squad Limitations: 
      • Travel squads sizes are as follows: Varsity squad limit is 20 people which would include: all players, coaches, stat person, and videographer. 
      • At the Lower Level games the travel squad will be limited to 18 people. 
      • Schools will have two (2) roster spots per participant in uniform and two per coach at each level to be used at that level throughout the season. This roster spot will allow for spectators to purchase a ticket to gain entrance for the contest. The ticket only allows an individual to purchase admission and has no cash value and may only be used at the venue and event listed (i.e. varsity tickets may only be used at the varsity contest). 
    • Fans will be cleared between games (10th grade fans will exit before start of Varsity Girls)
    • Benches will be sprayed down and sanitized in between each game
    • Hand sanitizer will be in between scores table and bench for players to use when checking into and out of games
    • Coaches and players on the bench will be asked to wear a mask
    • Multiple racks will be used so teams are not mixing the use of warm up balls
    • Three balls will be used in each game with game balls being cleaned at every timeout and between each quarter
    • Cleaning of balls used in between games
    • No visiting cheerleaders 
    • No Pep Band performance will be allowed 

 

Swimming

  1. Practices
    • Athletes must enter/ exit YMCA with a mask/face covering
    • Athlete temperature checks upon arrival
    • They answer two health questions upon their arrival (YMCA mandated questions)
    • Swimmers are in pods of 3-5 per lane spaced out at least 6+ feet apart (most 15+).
    • All athletes will bring and use their own equipment (no sharing)
    • Swimmers are allowed to use the water bottle fillers, just not the drinking fountains.  Have to provide their own containers
    • Swimmers stagger the use the locker rooms in groups of 6 at a time and rotate through showers/changing safely.
    • Grab and go breakfasts only.  1 parent (in PPE) distributes prepackaged food 
  2. Meets
    • There will be no spectators allowed this year. Space will be reserved for the swim teams, coaches, and meet workers. (meets are live-streamed)
    • All seating is spaced out for them at an appropriate 6 feet of distance and these are marked with green “x” spots.  
    • YMCA staff clean the areas before/after our time there.
    • All swimmers must wear a mask/face covering in the bleachers unless heading to the blocks to swim.
    • Each individual race has swimmers do a cool down 25 to end at the side of the pool that does not have timers.
    • Relays are spaced out and JV/Varsity has a small break between to allow for swimmers to have appropriate spacing and no congregating.
    • The anchor leg of each relay swims down to the far end so there are less people congregated behind the blocks.
    • During the 500, Only 1 swimmer is allowed at the end of a lane with the lap counter for the swimmer in the water.  The cards and kick board will be sanitized after the JV and Varsity races.

Bowling

  1. Games
    • There will be no visiting spectators allowed this year.
    • Masked at all times

Dance

  1. Masked at all times
  2. Keep 6ft apart during most of the practice

Cheer

  1. Masked at all times
  2. Virtual competition at this time

Details about Star Struck Clinic:

  1. There will be one show choir in the Field House and one jazz choir in the Auditorium at a time.  
  2. Everyone present (students, directors, and clinicians) will be fully masked and distanced.  
  3. Show Choirs will perform on the flat floor of the Field House with no risers. 
  4. Jazz Choirs will perform in the auditorium in a distanced format.  
  5. Both the Show Choir and Jazz Choir centers will have professional microphone and sound support.
  6. Each group will be in the building approximately 1.5 hours before they get back on the bus and return to their own schools.  
  7. School groups will enter the high school through one set of doors and exit out another.
  8. These performances will not have an audience, but will be live streamed with open access during the time of the group’s performance.