Athletic COVID Guidelines

KSD Athletic COVID Guidelines: August 17, 2022 Update

Students, children, and staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 are required to stay home and should get tested and/or see a health care provider and follow the return to work/care/school guidance accordingly. Follow the DOH What to do if a Person is Symptomatic flowchart and Isolation Protocol.

During athletic team outbreaks, athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and other support personnel should wear masks when participating in indoor activities, to include training rooms, especially when playing or practicing indoor sports where aerosolization may occur or the indoor space is not well ventilated.

During a group outbreak in performing arts, high aerosol producing performers [e.g., singers, woodwinds and brass, speech/debate, dance (competitive and dance squads), and theatre] should wear appropriate masks and/or use appropriate bell covers while practicing or performing. See National Association for Music Education resource for more information.

KSD Athletic COVID Guidelines: March 11, 2022 Update

We will test high-risk indoor sport participants once weekly on Tuesdays (Wrestling, Girls Basketball, Judo).

Coaches, Athletes, and Spectators may choose to wear a mask during indoor or outdoor sports activities.

Students and Coaches have the option to wear a mask while riding the bus.

KSD Athletic COVID Guidelines: January 27, 2022 Update

The WIAA and the DOH are now requiring: 

1. Test high-contact sport athletes the day of competition only and exclude those who test positive. Testing of asymptomatic athletes three times a week is no longer required. By way of reminder, a student-athlete does not need to test if they have tested positive and recovered from COVID in the last 90 days.
2. Ensure universal masking of all athletes during all practices/training for these high-risk sports.
3. Coaches, trainers, and staff will not be required to be tested but MUST wear masks in all practices/training AND competitions.
4. Any student or staff member with COVID-19 should isolate at home. This isolation guidance applies regardless of vaccination status. If a student or staff member tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a molecular or antigen test, they can return to school when the following criteria are met:

• 5 days* have passed since symptom onset, or since positive test specimen collection date if no symptoms are present (*note: people who are severely ill or severely immunocompromised may need to isolate for up to 20 days); AND
• No symptoms are present, or symptoms are resolving; AND
• No fever within the past 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.

Upon return students and staff should continue monitoring for symptoms and wearing a well-fitting mask around others through day 10 (days 6-10) both in and out of school, including during extracurricular and sports activities.

KSD Athletic COVID Guidelines: January 20, 2022 Update

The WIAA and the DOH are requiring specific COVID testing 3 times a week for students, coaches, trainers, and supporting personnel participating in basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading, regardless of vaccination status. The KSD will be utilizing COVID Rapid Antigen Tests on event and game days.  Each school's testing schedules will vary, but staff will make every effort to utilize these tests based on availability.

All participants will need to provide the school athletic director with a completed KSD consent form.

Kent School District COVID Rapid Antigen Testing Consent Form

The Kent School District will continue to utilize the PCR testing through Supreme Medical Labs.  All participants must register on the site below.

Registration link: COVID Testing

We are planning on using the King County provided Rapid Antigen Tests as much as we can, but these will be administered based on availability. 

All participants need to watch carefully for the following COVID-19 symptoms; fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose or congestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or new loss of taste or smell. Again, if a participant is symptomatic, they should not report to practice or games, but should notify their school Athletic Director who can provide further guidance.

KSD Athletic COVID Guidelines: December 17, 2021 Update

The WIAA and the DOH are requiring specific COVID testing 3 times a week for students, coaches, trainers, and supporting personnel participating in basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading regardless of vaccination status.

We want to assure the safety of ALL participants while engaging in identified “High Contact” sports or “High Aerosol” activities.  The test will be available at school three times a week for individuals that have registered at the link below.

Registration link: COVID Testing

To access the school-sponsored testing, you must complete a health questionnaire on the link provided.

All participants need to watch carefully for the following COVID-19 symptoms; fever of 100.4 or higher, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chills, fatigue, body aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose or congestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or new loss of taste or smell. Again, if a participant is symptomatic, they should not report to practice or games, but should notify their school contact who can provide further guidance

Summary of December 17, 2021 Changes

• In response to recent sports-related outbreaks, the testing requirements for high-risk sporting activities has been updated to require screening testing of all athletes, coaches, trainers and supporting personnel, regardless of vaccination status. Further, the testing frequency has increased to 3 times weekly. Among those screening tests, at least one must occur no sooner than the day before the competition; ideally and whenever possible, the day of the event.

KSD Athletic COVID Guidelines: October 06, 2021 Update

The WIAA and the DOH are requiring specific COVID testing of all students participating in basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading who are not vaccinated.

We want to assure the safety of ALL participants while engaging in identified “High Contact” sports or “High Aerosol” activities.

The test will be available at school twice a week for unvaccinated athletes who have provided the required consent form.

Order the Covid-19 test here. In order to order a test/schedule an appointment, you must complete a health questionnaire.

If your student-athlete is fully vaccinated, meaning it has been at least two weeks since their last dose, he/she does not have to participate in this required testing program; please be sure to provide proof of vaccination while registering for the sport on Family ID or show proof to your school’s athletic office to be recorded. 

Again, if your student is symptomatic, they should not report to practice or games, but should notify their coach who can provide further guidance.

KSD Athletic COVID Guidelines As of October 4, 2021

DOH REQUIREMENTS FOR K-12 SPORTS SUMMARY UPDATE

On October 4th, 2021 DOH (Department of Health) updated the K-12 COVID-19 School Requirements for the 2021-22 School Year to include new requirements for extracurricular sports activities. We have highlighted some of the sports requirements below. This is not an exhaustive list of the recent updates. Please read the entire document for the full sports requirements.  

OUTDOORS

• Masks are not required for outdoor sports of any contact level but are recommended in settings where unvaccinated athletes, coaches, athletic trainers and/or support personnel are in close proximity, such as standing on the sidelines, in a huddle, or sitting in a dugout. 

INDOORS

• Universal masking is required by all athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and support personnel when in weight rooms, regardless of vaccination status. 
• Masks are not required for athletes while competing in low-contact or moderate contact sports indoors, regardless of vaccination status. 
• Masks are not required for fully vaccinated athletes competing in high-contact indoor sports. Masks are not required for unvaccinated athletes competing in high-contact indoor sports if they participate in screening testing twice weekly. Masks are encouraged when practicing indoors. Universal masking is required indoors when not practicing or competing. 
• All coaches, athletic trainers, and other support personnel involved with sporting activities must wear face coverings indoors in K-12 settings, regardless of vaccination status. 
• Masking is required universally for all spectators attending indoor K-12 sporting activities, regardless of vaccination status. Audience members should be seated in “family units” and those small groups should be spaced at least 6 feet apart. 
• Screening testing is required for all unvaccinated athletes in high contact sports or high aerosol indoor activities (Basketball, Wrestling, Judo, Cheer). 

Notes and Procedures

• Continue taking daily attendance for contact tracing. (Accurate attendance is always part of training and competitions!)
• Continue to use hand sanitizer before and after practices/competitions (especially when sharing equipment).
• Continue to promote social distancing of at least 3 feet when not competing (eliminate post-game handshakes and provide physically distance team huddles/player introductions).
• Attestations/health screenings are no longer needed for student-athletes or coaches/staff.
• Student-athletes should NOT share water bottles, uniforms, towels, and snacks.
• Masks must be properly worn on busses.
• Student-athletes and coaches should know that choosing to wear a mask, though it may not be required, is ALWAYS an option. Many have good reasons to wear a mask, such as immunocompromised family members, increased exposure chances, etc. Make it acceptable on your teams to allow the wearing of masks as an option.
• When referencing not wearing a mask during indoor “competition,” there is the act of competing in those sports, and there is not actually competing. Standing around, in a huddle or team meeting, on the bench/sideline, before and after an event, entering and exiting, in the locker room are all examples of not competing at that specific time. Make sure students and coaches understand the difference.
• Locker rooms can be utilized for “need to use” situations such as restrooms, changing, distributing gear. Masks are required in the locker rooms, and social distancing must be emphasized.
• The use of cohorts within your team is emphasized in the guidelines. This paid off last year. Coaches can choose to lose part of a team or the entire team if exposure happens.
• Coaches should maintain 6 feet distancing whenever possible. Limit your exposure, it is possible to coach from 6 feet away in most situations.

This information will be updated as needed to align with health guidelines and to address KSD Athletics specifically. 

KSD 2021-22 Fall Sports COVID update 08112021 (PDF)