CIF San Diego Section released the following statement Dec. 14 along with a link to guidelines for sports issued by the California Department of Health and Safety regarding sports programs as the state heads into 2021 under COVID-19 restrictions:
"Earlier tonight we were made aware that the youth sports guidance we were awaiting from the California Department of Health and Safety was released. We understand that the release of the guidance will create a lot of questions. We are asking for your patience as we work with our section governance and leadership to review the impact of this new guidance from the California Department of Health has on the CIF-San Diego Section and our plan for the start of Season 1 sports. Please see below the recent updated guidance from the California Department of Health on “Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Adult Sports" guidelines: Department of Health Sports Guidelines.
Our section office will provide further guidance in the coming days.
Respectfully,
Joe Heinz
Commissioner
“We are a family-oriented association and we really focus on the girls,” said James Anderson, SRSA president.
During the spring, the association fundraises by holding a raffle.
“We ask each girl to try and sell five raffle tickets. As an incentive for the girls, we also put their names in a raffle in which they can get a bat. Then we get donations from companies and amusement parks to help fundraise. For example, this year Disneyland had donated a four day and two-day pass,” President Anderson said.
However, this year the organization split up the profits and donated $2,000 to Feeding San Diego in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
“We wanted to give back to the community in a time like this,” Anderson said.
Not only does the association fundraise through the raffle, but it also has local sponsors such as Diamond Designs and the Scripps Ranch Old Pros.
With the rest of the money raised, they pay for expenses in the program. SRSA was also able to award five $1,000 scholarships to five senior high school students: Lauren Anderson, Julia Cornelissen, Alex Cruella, Sophia Ippolito and Juliana Ishimine.
“Because of our local sponsors and fundraisers, we are able to have one of the lowest registration fees,” Anderson said.
On June 17, the association started holding summer camps that ran in two-week increments. For now, their permits have been renewed through the end of July.
Depending on the group of athletes, sessions can range from teaching the basics to running drills. Each group has 12 athletes.
At the moment, USA Softball has possible plans to have tournaments in August in which the association wants to participate. Some of the activities are up in the air (as of press time) due to the COVID-19 crisis, as one of the leagues the association partners with cancelled its upcoming season and another plans September competition, pending local guidelines of cities in which it plays.
During the regular year, the association has three seasons. Fall Ball season runs from August to November.
“Fall Ball is developmental in nature. Girls that play Fall Ball are usually trying to improve or preparing to move up in age next season. During the fall, we play in the North County Winterball League or in Premier Girls Fastpitch. Both leagues have teams from all over the San Diego area,” Anderson said.
Recreational season runs from January to April.
“Recreation season is designed to help all players of all levels get better and learn and, hopefully, love softball. We play around 12 to 16 games per season followed by a double elimination playoff tournament. We also have activities such as movie night and hot dog decorating contests for the girls,” Anderson said.
All Star season runs from May to July.
“All Star season is designed to provide players an opportunity to take their game to the next level and compete with neighboring leagues. All Star season can include the opportunity to play at States and eventually Nationals, if you qualify,” Anderson said.
All Star season also includes travel. Each season, players compete in a tournament in Irvine.
“The trip to Irvine is truly a lifetime memory for the girls. They really feel like they are part of something,” Anderson said.
Visit srsoftball.org.
This is an updated version of the story that will appear in the printed version of the July issue of Scripps Ranch News:
The Scripps Ranch Pop Football Warner and Cheer Association board voted Thursday, July 23, to cancel its 2020 football and cheer season. The decision ultimately came down to the health and safety of the athletes, families and community, according to Sarah Wicker, president of Scripps Ranch Pop Warner. It was a tough and sad decision, but necessary, she added.
July usually marks a short time before the start of practice for the Scripps Ranch Pop Football Warner and Cheer Association. But, as of press time for the July issue of Scripps Ranch News, the league was still uncertain whether the traditional Aug. 1 season start would happen at all.
With the California Interscholastic Federation’s decision to push back the fall high school sports season, Scripps Ranch Pop Warner was sitting in an unknown situation. It was waiting to find out from Scripps Ranch High School if it would be allowed to use the school’s field and stadium, as it has in the past.
“Because we use the Scripps Ranch High School football field for our games, that’s what makes (CIF’s decision) really contingent for Scripps Ranch Pop Warner’s ability to facilitate a season,” Wicker said.
Nevertheless, Pop Warner leaders had been working to draft a safety protocol in the instance they were able to proceed. The guidelines were a compilation of Center for Disease Control, San Diego County, State of California and National Pop Warner sanitation guidelines.
If the season proceeded, varying degrees of interaction between athletes would have been determined by the reopening status of the region, Wicker said.
With the latest swath of closures handed down by Governor Gavin Newsom to counties around the state, Wicker said the 2020 season would have begun with the strictest COVID-19 protocols. Under those circumstances, athletes would have been limited to interacting within groups of 10.
“If you’re throwing a football, that would be to that small 10-person group and that football never leaves or exchanges into another group until it is sanitized appropriately,” Wicker said.
Later phases, such as phase 3, would have allowed athletes to interact in groups of 25. But since the state’s virus cases remained high, the league did not make it to the point in which games between groups were possible. In this case, the league is planning a fair refund policy.
On top of limiting group sizes, Wicker said the league would have monitored athletes’ temperatures, offered hand sanitizer, enforced social distancing among all practice attendees and sanitized all equipment thoroughly between uses.
But the question remained: Were Scripps Ranch families comfortable enrolling their kids in youth sports amid an unprecedented pandemic?
“I’ve seen it both ways,” Wicker said. “There are parents that really want to get their kids back into youth sports, that want to get their kids out away from computers, video games and mobile devices and get them the exercise they absolutely need and thrive on. Then, I’m also talking to parents that are unsure and are really putting a more concerted effort into keeping their family safe.”
At the end of the day, Wicker said she hoped the league could have found a way to continue for the sake of her kids and others.
“There are so many different things that they learn through football and through cheer,” she said. “Leadership, respect, the ability to really build trust and lean on your teammates.”
Visit scrippsranchpopwarner.com.
(July 20) Today, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) suspended the start of the fall high school sports season in this state until December or January due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is the official statement from the CIF:
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has determined, in collaboration with our 10 Sections, that education-based athletics for the 2020-2021 school year will begin with a modified season of sport schedule … Our calendar reflects the season for each CIF sport and the last date for Section Championships and Regional/State Championships in those sports where a Regional/State Championship is currently offered. Following this announcement, each CIF Section Office will release their own calendar to reflect regular season starting and ending dates and Section playoffs. It is anticipated that most Section start dates will commence in December 2020 or January 2021.
We are continuously monitoring the directives and guidelines released from the Governor's Office, the California Department of Education, the California Department of Public Health, and local county health departments and agencies as these directives and guidelines are followed by our member schools/school districts with student health and safety at the forefront. As these guidelines change, CIF Sections may allow for athletic activity to potentially resume under the summer period rules of the local Section. Also, given this calendar change, the CIF has temporarily suspended Bylaws 600-605 (Outside Competition) in all sports for the 2020-21 school year (see below for more specific information related to these changes).
Pursuant to Bylaw 1108, the CIF Executive Director issues the following notice: Temporary Extension of Bylaws 501.F and 501.G (Summer Period)
Given that the CIF has moved the start of its traditional seasons of sport to December 2020, once allowed by the appropriate state and local agencies, CIF Sections may extend their summer period up until the first date of their Fall regular season sports calendar. All summer period activities must be authorized by the member school’s principal/designee. As per CIF Article 23, local schools, school districts, leagues, and Sections may develop a more restrictive rule than the CIF State Office with respect to the aforementioned Bylaws.
Temporary Reconfiguration of Bylaws 504.E. and H. (Season of Sport)
As per the 2020-21 sports calendar above, the CIF has made adjustments to the traditional seasons of sport. Each CIF Section will release their own calendar to reflect regular season starting and ending dates and Section playoffs. It is anticipated that most Section start dates will commence in December 2020 or January 2021.
Temporary Suspension of Bylaws 600-605 (Outside Competition)
Due to the need to move sports to non-traditional times of the year, the CIF is temporarily suspending Bylaws 600, 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605 for all sports for the 2020-21 school year. Accordingly, students will be allowed to participate on an outside team at the same time they participate on their high school team. As per CIF Article 23, local schools, school districts, leagues, and Sections may develop a more restrictive rule than the CIF State Office with respect to the aforementioned Bylaws.
Each of the above Bylaw modifications are effective as of July 20, 2020, and remain in effect for the 2020-21 school year only.
CIF State Constitution and Bylaws: https://cifstate.org/governance/constitution/index
The COVID-19 pandemic threatened to halt a Scripps Ranch tradition this year, but thanks to some tenacity and innovation, the Scripps Ranch Old Pros will host its 42nd annual summer fundraiser.
Named the Freedom Run & Ride this year, the event – normally held on the Fourth of July – will consist of five virtual events, spanning from June 25 to July 15. There will be a two-mile “fun run,” a 10K run, a 12-mile bike ride, a 28-mile bike ride, and a 50-mile bike ride. Each event can be run or biked from any location its participants choose.
Freedom Run & Ride
June 25-July 15, 2020
Five events from which to choose
"Real fun, real schwag and a real good cause."
Register before midnight June 17 to receive an official shirt, bib and schwag.
Visit https://runride.org/
The Old Pros have reduced the entry fee this year to $30 for adults and $15 for children, no matter what event. Proceeds from the Freedom Run & Ride will fund the $35,000 in youth sports scholarships that the organization presents every year to graduating seniors from Scripps Ranch and will also support the area's youth sports leagues.
“I’ve been involved with this Fourth of July fundraiser for 20 years now,” said Trifoglio, who served as “czar” as the Old Pros call the position, in 2018 and 2019. (This year’s czar is Brian Ondek.)
“We usually draw between 3,500 and 4,000 participants, but there was no way that was going to happen this year,” Trifoglio said.
Although the Run & Ride is usually a one-day event, it requires more than six months of meetings to plan and organize.
“We started having conversations before the new year, and then of course, the pandemic came,” Trifoglio said. “We knew by May that we couldn’t do this the traditional way. We were down to three options: one, hope beyond hope that things would change; two, change it to another day like Labor Day; or three, cancel it. Luckily, we came up with a fourth option to preserve tradition.”
While a virtual community event has its drawbacks, it also provides certain advantages, according to the Old Pros. For example, it will allow people to participate in the Scripps Ranch fundraiser from anywhere in the world. In fact, Trifoglio said his organization has already received an application from an individual in Puerto Rico.
Some of the Old Pros planners had heard that similar events were going virtual this year, so they took that and “ran with it.” There were other elements to the longstanding event however, that would have to be amended or rethought as well.
The beer garden in Hoyt Park had always been a huge draw following the Run & Ride. With current public health concerns prohibiting such public gatherings, Trifoglio said the Old Pros decided to partner with several local restaurants and breweries to create a “goody bag.”
“Participants can use their bib as a coupon at over 15 different community establishments for pizza, breweries, pastries, frozen yogurt,” Trifoglio said. “We think it’s a win-win proposition that will help local business to recover.”
Partnering eateries include Yanni’s Bar & Grill, the French Oven Bakery, Pazzo’s Pizza, Yogurt Heaven and Harland Brewing Company.
Another Old Pros summer tradition linked to the Fourth of July fundraiser is the on-stage presentation of scholarships to local recipients during the June concert in Hoyt Park, presented by Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park.
“Obviously, we can’t do that this year,” Trifoglio acknowledged.
Instead the club held a drive-by scholarship distribution on Canyon Lake Drive next to Hoyt Park on June 6. There were lots of people to cheer on the young Scripps Ranch athletes and celebrate their accomplishments as they passed by in their cars.
The Scripps Ranch Old Pros is a nonprofit community organization founded by Scripps Ranch residents in 1982 to facilitate social interaction, organize local sports leagues and raise funds for scholarships for high school athletes in Scripps Ranch.
Participants should register before midnight June 17 to receive an official shirt, bib and schwag by June 24.To register for the Old Pros’ Fourth of July Freedom Run & Ride, or for more information, visit https://runride.org/
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