High school sports: CPS starts fall sports practices under strict COVID-19 guidelines

Lane cross-country runners during practice on August 19, 2020.

Lane senior Theo Canji was excited to be back practicing with his cross-country team on Wednesday, but there is no way to fully escape from COVID-19 concerns.

“I’m worried,” Canji said. “I really don’t want to give COVID to my parents. We try to keep our distance and wear our masks. The danger is very real and present and something that I think about a lot.

“We run in a small group of seven and we’ve been training together since it all started. So I feel like when we are alone in our group working out it is a little bit less of a concern. But around all these other people that I have never seen before it is a little different.”

Chicago Public Schools runners have likely dealt with more turmoil than any other high school athletes in the country over the last year.

The cross-country season was cut short before last fall due to the Chicago Teachers Union strike. Then track was canceled in the spring because of COVID-19. The last few months they’ve had to wait and see if there would be a cross-country season this fall.

CPS delayed the start of fall sports practices for 10 days after the rest of the state, but things finally got started on Wednesday. Cross country, golf, girls tennis and girls swimming teams began practicing under strict new protocols established by CPS.

“The requirements are very substantial,” Lane coach Kris Roof said. “We have to do a daily form, which is two pages, for each kid. So the coaches and volunteers are doing the temperature check and asking the questions on the form. It’s a lengthy process.”

More than 300 students showed up for the first day of cross-country practice at Lane.

“Spirits are high with the kids,” Roof said. “We’ve had maybe a half dozen opt-outs so far and we fully support their decision. Some have immune compromised family members. We are just going to do the best we can.”

State regulations will limit meets to just 50 people. In past seasons, Lane’s cross-country meets could have more than 1,000 people in attendance.

“We are being creative with the timing,” Roof said. “We’ll have 42 kids in a race, have them cool down elsewhere and go home. Start another race. We are committed to two Saturdays at Bunker Hill where we will set up a timer all day to provide schools an opportunity to get their meets in. We’ll just play it by ear and hope we don’t get shut down. But we all know that is a very real possibility.”

All the new rules and protocols have helped ease concerns for Lane senior Fiona Glascott.

“It makes me feel more comfortable that they have really thought about it and it is planned out,” Glascott said. “I’m just excited to run and see how it goes.”