FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – As more coronavirus restrictions are relaxed, sports teams are the latest groups to try and return to work safely.
Head football coach Jody Jenerette of West Florence High School says it will take a different kind of teamwork for the Knights to get back on the field this season.
“If you want to play high school football, you better do things right, right now,” Jenerette said.
The South Carolina High School League allowed voluntary workouts and conditioning drills to start up Monday. Florence One Schools, however, is waiting one more week until June 15.
Jenerette says the coronavirus will make practice look very different at first.
“We can’t have any dummies, any balls,” he said. “We can’t have any type of equipment at all on the field, so that’s going to be a challenge.”
College athletes are getting ready to restart too.
Tidelands Health and Coastal Carolina University are teaming up to provide free COVID-19 testing for Chanticleer athletes and staff.
“That’s why CCU had a comprehensive plan that they developed with DHEC, their athletic trainers, their physicians and their conference,” said Tidelands chief operating officer Gayle Resetar.
Tidelands says 55 football players and staff members were the first tested Monday and the goal is to test 500 athletes in June.
“Every conference, and probably this is true for high schools, and true for other colleges and conferences, they’re developing their own protocols and plans for re-entry of athletes,” said Resetar.
Jenerette says he’ll have to take extra precautions to make sure his players are safe from the coronavirus and that South Carolina summer heat.
“I’m more worried about hydration because the kids are supposed to bring their own water bottles,” said Jenerette.
Team practices for high school fall sports are scheduled to begin at the end of July.