Back on Track: The Return of SMC Athletics
Chief Adams of the Santa Monica Police Department concludes his briefing to the Santa Monica College Swim team about the Re-opening procedure for non-contact sports on March 12, 2021, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Jonathan Putman l The Corsair)
Santa Monica College (SMC) athletes can finally take a breath of fresh air as sports return on ground on March 22. After a long and stagnant wait of uncertainty, SMC is beginning to prepare for a new chapter in their Athletics Department.
On Friday, March 12, the Santa Monica Police Department held a meeting on ground at Santa Monica College for both students and faculty to attend. The meeting, hosted by Officer John Adams, detailed the latest safety precautions students must abide by in order for the return of sports at SMC to run both smoothly and efficiently.
The Track, Swimming, and Tennis teams will get a head start as Los Angeles county enters into the red tier. These non-contact sports will gain access to compete after the athletes have been PCR tested both before they are allowed back to practice and 48 hours before each match. It is also mandatory for players to be wearing masks on the sidelines at all times.
Officer Adams’ goals for the return are clear, “We have decided to be extra cautious because we want [students and athletes] to succeed.” The protection of the students and faculty is their main concern. To ensure the athlete’s safety, they have implemented visitor screenings before games, specific areas to park, and ways to practice while simultaneously minimizing cross traffic.
As of right now, fan attendance will not be allowed back so they can optimize creating a safe environment for these athletes first and foremost. “Right now we’re not planning on having any spectators - but that can change,” Officer Adams continued, “If we are going to have fans back, we would have to make sure we have the proper maintenance staff that’s there to clean high-touch points like in restrooms and seating areas…just so we have people properly distancing and everything is under control.”
Brian Eskridge, the Aquatics Director and Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Swim team at SMC, is eager to start practice on Thursday. He feels confident about the return and was excited to see his team for the first time in over a year last Friday.
“I feel pretty good about it. We’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Coach Eskridge continued, “It’s been a tough process, but we’ve put in a lot of work. Some of the hardest parts were not knowing when we were coming back - like in the fall, we had a lot of these plans and protocols set but we didn’t know when we would be able to start.”
Their trainers organized a practice routine for the Swim team that would comply with the Los Angeles Public Health Department’s safety guidelines. Since they are not able to wear masks as they perform, they will be put into socially distanced groups or “pods” of 5-6 with specific exit and entry points at the pool. As locker rooms remain closed under city restrictions, they are required to show up in their suits.
The SMC Swim team is the only program in Los Angeles County that will compete in upcoming meets. Despite unique challenges, optimism remains the definitive feeling of the week. “It has put us all in a pretty good place… It’s tough because I feel like we’re completely starting over, but at the same time everybody’s in the same situation. I think we’ll be able to get back into it very quickly once we adapt to these changes”
It is evident that the coaches and athletes want to get back on track as soon as possible. After things are proven to be running smoothly and the statistics for cases in Los Angeles County improve, the objective is to continue this process and provide thorough instructions to proceed for each given sport.
Other facilities, like the indoor gym, remain closed for the time being due to ongoing county restrictions. However, there is discussion as to how Santa Monica College could provide their students with a new experience by creating an outdoor gym setting to prevent any potential threat of exposure.
An entire year-long process to get to this point has created a very eager community of athletes who want nothing more than to pick up from where they left off. The truth is that if these rules and regulations as reported are not complied with, the possibility of ending back at square one will be inevitable. Officer Adams confirms that “When we take all of these different steps, we can stay safe during this unprecedented time.” Committing to practicing mindfulness and creating good habits will be the true test to ensure the continuation of this process moving forward.
