USC welcomes return of athletics

Upper St. Clair athletic director Kevin Deitrick reacted like a kid on Christmas morning greeting each player trying out for a fall sport with exuberance.
“It’s great seeing the kids,” he said. “It really is. It’s been a long summer in terms of COVID guidelines.”
Indeed, scholastic sports weathered on-again, off-again workouts as return-to-play guidelines and protocols were ever changing.
Additionally, athletes adhered to and continue to endure procedures such as wearing face coverings, physical distancing and health screenings in order to compete during the coronavirus pandemic.
The PIAA Board of Directors voted to permit fall sports to begin Aug. 24 based on local school district’s approvals. The PIAA made its decision despite a recommendation from Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania departments of health and education that school and recreation sports should cease until Jan. 1, 2021.
Football, boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country and field hockey are the fall sports governed by the PIAA.
“The PIAA did a good job of taking its time to make this decision,” said USC football coach Mike Junko. “We have worked hard at improving our safety protocols all summer and as a group we feel like we are taking the proper measures to keep our kids safe.
“We are excited for our players, especially our seniors. We all watched our seniors lose their spring seasons last school year. I would have hated to see the same thing happen to this group again. We will continue to take things day by day and be grateful that we have the opportunity to play.”
Deitrick said “his heart goes out” to Mt. Lebanon’s football team, which is currently dealing with one of its players who has contracted coronavirus.
“It can happen to us today,” said Deitrick. “It’s tough because their kids probably worked as hard as we did.
“We just have to monitor and adjust and keep the fluid schedule going and keep the kids optimistic and do the best we can. This is going to be a tough fall but I still believe that we owed it to the kids to give it a shot.”
Deitrick said he has delivered a simple message to USC’s athletes: “Be good teammates. Be smart.”
“The season will go as far as we allow it to go by making great decisions,” he said. “Everyone has done a great job this summer, the kids, the coaches, the parents. Hopefully, we keep it going.”
Junko said he expects challenges regarding continuity. His said players and coaches should “remain patient” and “do their part” to keep the Panthers on the field playing.
Scholastic sports cannot enjoy playing in a bubble like the NBA or NHL are currently playing in.
Deitrick said the first day of practice was “so far, so good.”
“It almost like wait and see what happens,” he said. “We will keep at it.
“It’s important that we at least give it a try. My philosophy is if we get four or five games in, then it’s a win.”
Deitrick said USC’s school board and administration “have been phenomenal” in their support of the district’s athletic programs.
“I’m blessed to work for such a great community as well as school board and school district. It’s nice knowing where they stand and that we have their full support.
“And really watching these kids today reminds me of why we do what we do. As frustrating as it has been this summer, coming up with nine different contingency plans and knowing one is going to be used, seeing the kids, brings you back to why we do what we do.”
The WPIAL and the Allegheny County Health Department issued guidelines regarding outdoor gatherings that would apply to youth and K-12 sports-related activities.
According to the WPIAL, the purpose of the measure is intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community. That is particularly true for groups of youth who can be asymptomatic while having the virus, not realizing that they are spreading it.
Currently, spectators are prohibited from attending athletic events.
Personal health assessments are expected of each participant on the day of any game. Physical distancing of six feet is required at all times when not actively engaged in competition. Coaches and staff should be masked at all times. Participants may not share uniforms, towels, apparel, equipment and are expect to bring own water bottle and rehydration beverages.
Based on these considerations and plans, each team is considered a pod. They are spread out and not allowed to exceed the 50-person gathering limit. While playing a game, a third pod is established with those players engaged in competition.
A total facility capacity may not exceed the state mandate of 250 individuals. As a result, Upper St. Clair athletic director Kevin Deitrick said the pods have allowed schools to have band and cheerleaders at games.
“We can’t run a football game with 50,” Deitrick said with the Allegheny County’s restriction for 50 at social gatherings. “Now with these pods, we can have 250 but that adds up quickly with teams, coaches, support staff and officials.”
While teams can now have some band members and cheerleaders, which Deitrick describes as “critical”, cheering sections are forbidden.
“My heart goes out to them. We had a great student section and that is part of their high school experience as well.”
Currently, USC, like other schools, will live-stream games. The Panthers also will have televised games against Pine-Richland and Peters Township.
“My feeling is, if we do this right, maybe the county will loosen up a bit and at least allow parents to come and student sections,” Deitrick said.
USC football coach Mike Junko would love to see a “compromise” that would allow parents to watch games. He noted the Panthers have a large enough stadium that could accommodate a number of parents safely.
“Our parents have been extremely supportive and would be more than willing to follow social distancing guidelines during games,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the current reality is that will probably not happen. Hopefully the streaming option for all games will enable the community can stay connected to our program.”