Written by Kayla Lammers (Sports Writer)
Cross country competitions are held every Thursday at 3 PM. There are many meets this season and a lot of them are hosted by SLVHS. The first game of the football season is on Saturday, March 13 at 2:30 PM, at SLVHS. Santa Cruz county has moved into the red tier, meaning volleyball is starting and football has begun. These were scheduled for season two if we got into the orange tier, but obviously, things change. If rates continue to go down season three will be jam-packed with sports. It’s too bad there is overlap for each season because students are not allowed to play multiple sports right now. This rule is in place to reduce the mixing of groups. Girls Tennis matches are also taking place, with two games on March 16th and 18th, both at 3:00 PM. Engaging in activities amongst friends has both physical and mental benefits for adolescents. Partaking in sports strengthens the cardiovascular muscle, body muscles and improves overall fitness and health. Lack of social interaction has led to a lot of people feeling sad, lonely, which has impacted self-esteem, self-worth, self-confidence, independence, or lack thereof. Although there are benefits of social interaction, the health of students, coaches, and their families is very important. “In general, the more people from outside their household with whom a person interacts, the closer the physical interaction is, the greater the physical exertion is, and the longer the interaction lasts, the higher the risk that a person with COVID-19 infection may spread it to others.” Risk increases when face coverings are not worn, with greater exertion level, with closer contact, and frequency of contact increases. To keep risk at a minimum people must practice the same safety precautions, constantly. The social distancing of at least 6 feet, no sharing of drinks, equipment, or personal items. Group gatherings before and post any sports activity are prohibited. Indoor events will only be held in the county that reaches the orange and purple tier. At this rate. Sports aren’t only a social event for athletes, but also the fans. To reduce the risk of infectious spreadability, observers are limited to immediate household members. Testing precautions are in place, as well as a mobile health screening app. Currently, all practices are non-contact and we are following all California Youth Sports Guidelines in regards to mask-wearing, hygiene, and social distancing. All the local area high schools are following the same guidelines and taking the same precautions. l If anyone is worried about the risks of participation, that’s okay. Some sports, like golf, tennis, or cross country that can fairly easily be contested with social distancing and limited to no contact are more likely to be played.
The Claw 