Athletes enter phase three of fall sports plan

By Delaney Crawford

Hood College’s athletic department enters phase 3 of its plan to allow teams to continue to train this semester despite COVID-19.

Phases were planned so each sport could eventually play inter-squad scrimmages this fall.

Phase 1 prohibited ball passing of any kind and required players to stay 6 feet apart at all times.

Phase 2 allowed ball passing between teammates, but still required them to stay 6 feet apart.

Every coach and athlete wanted to get to Phase 3, which allows players full contact and full play while wearing a mask.

Both phases 1and 2 had to be 14 days long, with seven practices taking place within that time frame. With both phases being so long, athletes were relieved to reach phase 3.

Women’s soccer was one of the first teams to reach phase 3. On Sept. 28, the women’s team was able to play full-out soccer and the team was so excited.

“We were all actually excited to go to soccer because we knew that it would be normal,” junior midfielder and forward Colby Painter said. “The phases were smart and worked well, but we were all just waiting to get to phase three so that we could play.”

While phases 1 and 2 were initially not requiring athletes to wear mask, Athletic Director Susan Kolb made the decision in mid-September that masks must be worn in all phases.

“We decided that we wanted to be more conservative since, while everyone was supposed to be 6 feet apart, it was hard to enforce that with some drills and games that teams were playing,” Kolb said.

This upcoming week, all fall sports will have entered phase 3 and will begin inter-squad scrimmages every Saturday. The following week, the winter sports will follow and then spring sports will enter phase three last, because their season starts later.

After all teams have entered phase three, they will continue with the same regulations until the end of the semester. Each team will also stay wearing masks for the rest of the semester.

“I trusted the plan we had in place that if followed it could get us through the end of the semester and so far, so good,” Kolb said. “We put our trust in our players and coaches and will continue to do so.”