Athletic COVID Protocol at Fairmont State
As we are approaching the one-year anniversary of the first diagnosed case of Covid-19 in the United States, countless things have changed. New norms have been installed into our society, and our population is learning to grow and adjust as we advance into this pandemic. With rapid testing becoming readily available along with the increase of production and distribution of the vaccine, there is a sense that the United States population is beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel for this year-long pandemic.
An organization on Fairmont State’s campus that has reaped the consequences hardest by this pandemic is athletics, even more so the athletic trainers. After the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA decided to conclude winter sports just before the finale of last year’s season. Athletes at Fairmont State and around the country are looking to make up for the lost time and begin competing as soon and as safely as possible. To ensure safety protocols, all participating NCAA athletes on campus are to abide by a strict set of restrictions and are expected to carry-out numerous pandemic-related tasks throughout the week in order to be cleared for competition.
Athletes on campus are to be tested Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week in order to be valid in competition. Robert Cable, Fairmont State’s head athletic trainer, and his team of trainers are responsible for administrating the Abbott branded rapid results tests. In addition to rapid testing being provided, athletes must fill out a 40-question questionnaire at the start of each day, monitoring symptoms and basic contact tracing questions, before being allowed admittance to the Feaster Center for practice. All student-athletes are to be wearing face protection when practicing their sport and mingling between separate teams is not encouraged.
“It just seems like everything has become too ingrained into my daily and weekly schedule …We are definitely a long way from being back to normal but just to see the NCAA making such an effort to allow us to compete especially in Division 2 is very refreshing. It feels like someone is fighting for us,” said Fairmont State wrestler. Luke Martin.
Winter and Spring teams on campus participating in athletic activities include volleyball, wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball, acrobatics and tumbling, soccer, and football. Wrestling and both basketball teams are the only squads active in the in–conference competition so far. No spectators are to be allowed into any events in the near future.
