Columbia, Fullerton opt out of Spring 1 season
Columbia College cancels Claim Jumper competition through June 2021
SONORA - Growing safety concerns surrounding COVID-19 and Tuolumne County’s inclusion in the recent Regional Stay Home Order have led to the cancellation of Columbia College volleyball and basketball through the spring of 2021. We remain hopeful that the 2021-2022 season will bring Athletics back to the Oak Pavilion and the community will be there to support our dedicated athletes.
Columbia College will always place the health and safety of its student-athletes, coaches, staff, and community first. This decision is disappointing, but especially so for our student-athletes, who put in countless hours preparing for a modified spring season. We are committed to our student-athletes and will continue to provide them access to health, counseling, and student-athlete support services as they continue their academic journey.
The difficult decision is made keeping primarily two aspects in mind – health of our student athletes and medical system of our community. Playing contact sports in the middle of a pandemic brings high health risk to our athletes. Moreover, if COVID-19 spreads rapidly during athletic events, our medical system, particularly ICU bed availability may be jeopardized if the need for beds exceeds the availability. By not participating in competitive sports, Columbia College expects to keep both the students and the community safer.
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Fullerton College Opts Out of CCCAA Spring I Competition Due to COVID-19 Surge
FULLERTON - Due to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases and current pandemic conditions throughout the region and state, Fullerton College will opt out of competition for the upcoming California Community College Association (CCCAA) Spring I season.
Men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, football, women's golf, men's soccer, women's soccer, women's volleyball, men's water polo, and women's water polo will not participate in intercollegiate competition this spring.
"While I know that this decision is not what we had hoped for as we began the school year, I believe that this is the best decision at this time, to help ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff," said Dr. Greg Schulz, president of Fullerton College.
The decision was made collaboratively after evaluating COVID-19 data and considering input from faculty, administrators, and public health agencies.
"After careful discussion with President Schulz, Vice President José Ramón Núñez, our athletic trainers, faculty and staff, we came to this decision in order to keep everyone healthy and safe. We will always hold our student-athletes, coaches, and staff in the highest priority," said Dr. David Grossman, Fullerton College dean of Physical Education.
When it is safe to do so, intercollegiate teams will be permitted to resume outdoor athletic conditioning but will not participate in competitions this spring.
"Given the current COVID-19 situation in the state and nation, we completely agree with our president's decision. I applaud his careful and measured approach keeping our student-athletes, faculty, and staff safe as we fight through this pandemic. President Schulz's decision was also made early enough for our student-athletes plan and prepare for the upcoming spring," said Fullerton College Athletic Director Scott Giles.
(Columbia College President's Office)
Safety Protocols in Place
This fall, the college briefly resumed outdoor athletic conditioning for student-athletes following strict measures adopted in the Fullerton College Athletic Training Resocialization Protocol guide. The college resumed outdoor athletic conditioning from October 19 until December 7 when the current stay-at-home order went into effect in Orange County. When the new stay-at-home order was put in place, teams returned to a remote format on Zoom for athletic conditioning.
When limited outdoor training was permitted – strict safety measures, stemming from California Community College Athletic Association and the Orange County Health Agency guidelines, included daily temperature and symptom checks, a mask protocol, social distancing and more. Coaches, administrators, and students completed training on COVID-19 safety practices. Students were required to complete a more advanced health screening with their personal physicians to meet medical eligibility. Health screenings included COVID specific screening questions.
Social distancing was achieved by dividing the teams into "pods" of 10 student-athletes each. These pods participated in contactless, socially distanced athletic conditioning activities. Teams did not scrimmage or conduct drills that required students to share equipment.
(Fullerton College Office of Campus Communications)