San Ramon Student Athletes Go Back To Work Amid New Protocols

SAN RAMON, CA — As the one-year anniversary of the initial COVID-19 lockdown nears, some youth sports have returned to something that more closely resembles normalcy.

Many athletes in San Ramon and beyond have resumed playing their sports, with new safety guidelines in effect.

Contra Costa County is in the most-strict purple tier of the state's COVID-19 risk assessment system, which means the state allows low-contact youth sports such as swimming and track to continue. In counties that are in less-restrictive tiers, students are allowed to engage in sports that have been deemed higher-risk.

Various local teams have been active since this summer or fall, following the end of the first stay-at-home order.

Agam Roopkaur, a swimmer for San Ramon Valley Aquatics (SRVA), said her team resumed practicing early last summer, with clear guidelines put in place.

A maximum of two swimmers are allowed per lane, no one can switch lanes, and temperature checks, attendance, and masks outside of the pool are now mandatory, said Kerry Turnbow, another SRVA swimmer and lifeguard at the Cal High and Dougherty Valley pools.

“We’re really strict about [protocols],” Turnbow said. “I know that I’m being safe and the people around me are being safe.”

Still, some athletes have not felt safe enough to continue their sports.

Since Contra Costa County fell back into the purple tier in January, Xceleration Volleyball player McKenna Keowen has had to take a break from playing with her club team. Although temperature checks are done when entering the gym and sanitization is enforced, only the coaches are required to wear masks and not the players.

“My family and I felt super uncomfortable,” Keowen said.

But some team sports are still doing a good job of keeping everyone socially distanced. Mikayla Abadir, lacrosse player for the team California Attack, said her sport doesn’t require too much contact, which has allowed everyone to stay separated.

“I do feel safe, everyone has their own space,” she said.

Her team has now split up into two groups for practices. Temperature checks are required and no defense is implemented when playing so that everyone can stay socially distanced.

While the threat of the virus has been a deterrent, remaining mentally and physically active has been very important for many athletes.

“My mental health really deteriorated without swim,” Roopkaur said. “It’s an outsource for any emotions I’m having.”

Some youth athletes, like Keowen, are now preparing for college in the fall. That’s why staying active is especially important, she said.

“I need to keep playing so I don’t show up to school completely out of it,” she said.

Contra Costa County is hoping to enter the less-restrictive red tier in the next two to three weeks. When that happens, state officials say youth sports such as baseball, softball and gymnastics could be able to resume in the region, barring additional restrictions imposed by county health officials.

Read more: Will Contra Costa Move To The Red Tier In Coming Weeks?