AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The attached video was published on May 27.
For the first time in over two months, sports will be given the green light to return to private high schools throughout the state of Texas starting Monday.
Local schools like Regents, Brentwood Christian, Hyde Park and St. Michael's will all have the option to hold workouts.
This stems from a "Return to Play" ruling last Tuesday from the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools’ (TAPPS).
"Beginning June 1, 2020, the decision as to when to allow students and staff to return to campus for instruction and activities by school personnel shall be left to local control – the administration of each member school," the board said in a statement. "TAPPS governance does not exempt member schools from the laws and executive orders of the State of Texas. Member schools shall remain in compliance with all local, state and national governance as it applies to their school."
Each member school is required to establish a return to play protocols that will address appropriate social distancing, hygiene and other safety measures.
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For Regents High School, which will return to limited team activities on Monday, that means its workouts will be completely optional and completely outdoors for the next two weeks.
Athletic director Beck Brydon, the former head coach of the football team, said football training will include things like running, push-ups, sit-ups and planks, and will be held in shifts to ensure the groups aren't too big.
“There’s going to be kids that are really in shape and used the shelter in place to their advantage and there’s going to be kids that didn’t do anything," he said. "That’s why this first two-week period to get them all just running and conditioning, it’s not just a get-in-shape period, it’s an evaluation period for our coaches so when we do eventually go inside, we know what we can and can’t do.”
Brydon said he expects the fall sports season to begin on time and is eager to watch the team get to work under the new coaching staff.
"It's a new playbook. How we do things doesn't look a whole lot different, but what we're actually doing does. Coaches are chomping at the bit to get with our kids and be able to get stuff to kids so they can start learning the system. Part of that has to do with balls in hand. We need to be able to chuck around the rock. As soon as we get the green light on that we'll get pretty active," he said.
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