Fresno City College announced that nine FCC athletic teams will “opt in” to play competitively this spring if the COVID-19 situation improves and community college athletic restrictions are lifted.
The nine teams are baseball; beach volleyball; men’s golf; softball; women’s swim and dive; men’s and women’s tennis; and men’s and women’s track and field.
“While we still remain concerned about the health of the community, we are hopeful that by opting in, our athletes may have an opportunity if our county moves out of the most restrictive tier. We are hopeful that our county health indicators will continue to improve and our students may be able to have some form of competition. By opting in now, we provide our students with the possibility of play if our health situation continues to improve,” said Dr. Carole Goldsmith, Fresno City College President on Friday.
Since February, student athletes have been conditioning following safety protocols designed by the California Community College Athletic Association, public health officials and athletic trainers. Social distance protocols and testing procedures are also in place.
According to Derrick Johnson, associate dean of athletics, if the season is to proceed, it would begin around April 15 and conclude June 23.
However, no spectators would be allowed at games. Throughout the season, athletes would undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The number of athletes tested each week will be determined on the risk level of the sport.
“I’d like to thank our faculty and staff, and also our students, for being patient with this process. I don’t know if people know how taxing this is. There is a lot of hard work that goes into not just keeping our students safe but also just keeping their mental health. Our coaches and equipment managers are amazing people. It’s not just a job to them, it is very dear to their heart keeping the students safe,” said Johnson.
The announcement was made during a live Campus Virtual Forum on Friday. A recording can be found at https://www.facebook.com/FresnoCityCollege/live/.