YUHSD youth sports begin with proper safety measures in place

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Some sports in the Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) will be allowed to return to practice as early as Monday.

Resuming youth sports would be contingent on several factors, including guidance from Yuma County health officials, the Arizona Department of Education, and metrics from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Golf and cheer programs will be the first of the sports allowed to start practicing Monday.

All other fall 2020 athletic programs will begin practice the following Monday, August 24th.

Practices will be in a strictly limited capacity. Athletes must practice outdoors, be socially distanced in groups of no more than 10 and be required to do a COVID-19 health screening every day.

The district released a statement reading -

“Truncating the schedule and limiting competition to teams within Yuma Union High School District, would put our student-athletes and coaches at far lesser risk and still allow for some semblance of an athletic season on our own timeline,”

“We certainly understand this is not what anyone had in mind for the fall sports season, but if we are able to move forward at some point, we believe this is the safest and most effective way to do so.”

- Tim Brienza, YUHSD Associate Superintendent

Practices will be considered “phase one” of training with several Arizona Interscholastic Association-guided restrictions in place.

Student-athletes will not be permitted to return to full practice until YUHSD students are permitted to return to in-person learning.