Matthew Hemmer, assistant coach of the Boys Varsity Cross County team, checks athletes temperature before they are able to start practice. Photos by William Dimmit.
Justin Wright, the head coach of the Varsity Swim team, reviews the safety and health guidelines for the swim and dive team before practice.
Boys from the swim and dive team remain masked and socially distant as they listen to the coach.
Girls from the track team are masked up as they begin their work outs in the cold January air.
On Tuesday, Jan. 19, Monroe-Woodbury School District was able to restart some of the low-risk high school sports programs.
This marked the first time these athletes and coaches have been allowed to begin workouts since they were completely shut down months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The boys swim and dive team along with the boys and girls track team were given the green light to resume their workouts and training routines.
However, this is in no way a resumption of high school sports as we know it. The coaches and the athletes must follow strict health and cleanliness guidelines for participation to begin and continue.
If everything goes right, next week the basketball, cheer, wrestling, hockey and football will also be given the opportunity to begin practices.
The health crises is far from over but this seems to be a small step in the direction of things slowly returning to normal.
- William Dimmit