July 1:

The GHSA and the Sports Medicine Advisory Council appreciates our member schools’ efforts during the successful implementation of the Coronavirus Guidance Plan. The GHSA has elected to implement:

1) intra-squad competitions (7-on-7, 3-on-3, … ) are allowed but competition between schools is illegal,

2) Groups of 50 are allowed to re-group if it can be done safely,

3) Cheerleading, Softball and Volleyball tryouts are allowed,

4) mask and face covering are recommended and

5) Each student should have their own personal water bottle (water bottles may be re-filled during workouts).

No use of water fountains or “water cows” is allowed, starting Monday, July 6th with the following stipulations:

1.    Recommend a mask or face covering.

2.    Groups may be re grouped into a group with up to the limit of 50 individuals.

3.    Water bottles may be refilled during workouts FOOTBALL- NO helmets, shoulder pads, girdles, knee or thigh pads can be worn AT ANY TIME.  

The face mask and face covering recommended guideline does not refer to helmets or helmet face masks, but to the use of cloth face covering/masks to help slow the spread of Covid-19. Click here for a Revised Guidance which may be implemented Monday, July 6th.   Recommendations and restrictions are fluid and subject to change.  Safety must be our top priority. Thanks for all you and your staff do for the student/athletes in the State of Georgia.

Robin Hines

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June 25:

The GHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Council met today and discussed the current “Guidance for returning to conditioning on June 22 with recommendation and/or restrictions” as well as moving forward after the upcoming Dead Week.  It was decided that no changes will be made at this time for the week beginning July 6, 2020.  

The Council will meet again next week (during the dead week) to discuss possible changes for the week of July 6th.

The GHSA Office is asking all member schools to report positive COVID-19 tests of student/athletes and coaches by emailing Don Corr at don.corr@ghsa.net. When emailing, please state the school name, denote coach or athlete (no names), date of positive test, and the sport in which the individual was conditioning. Names of student/athletes and coaches should not be included in this report.   We hope that everyone stays safe under these difficult times.

Robin Hines

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June 22:

Due to the number of calls, the GHSA would like to clarify the term “no scrimmaging” in the Coronavirus Guidance Plan.

It is defined as:
1.    No one-on-one, No two-on-two, etc. … in any sport.
2.    No seven-on-seven in football.
3.    No live batting practice that has a catcher and hitter with in six (6) feet of each other.
4.    No conditioning/activity that does not allow for “Social Distancing.”

Remember that “Social Distancing” is still in place and should be strictly followed at all times.

Robin Hines

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GHSA SEC Meeting 6/23/2020  –  Dead Week

Proposal that GHSA establish a Second Dead Week on the GHSA Calendar for the Monday through Sunday in which Memorial Day falls each year. (The dead week would begin on Memorial Day and last until the following Sunday.) This would begin on Memorial Day in 2021. The July 4th Dead Week would also change to a Monday through Sunday format (in which the Fourth of July falls).

(GHSA Office) MOTION PASSED (unanimously)

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June 17:

The GHSA and the Sports Medicine Advisory Council appreciates our member schools’ efforts during the successful implementation of the Coronavirus Guidance Plan.

The GHSA has elected to implement: 1) Allow the use of sports specific equipment (including balls) in conditioning (no scrimmaging), and 2) increase the number of participants in each group from 25 to 50 (two existing groups should be combined into one group), starting Monday, June 22nd with the following stipulations:

1. Sports specific equipment (including balls) may be used and should be sanitized between sessions.
2. Existing groups may be combined into one (1) group, up to the limit of 50 individuals.

Click the following links to view two (2) documents: 1) is a Revised Guidance which may be implemented Monday, June 22nd and 2) is the original guidance with newly approved revisions that may be implemented Monday, June 22, 2020.

Recommendations and restrictions are fluid and subject to change. Safety must be our top priority.
Thanks for all you and your staff do for the student/athletes in the State of Georgia.

Robin Hines

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6/12/20

GHSA Statement from Don Corr…

Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of GHSA Executive Director, Dr. Robin Hines:

The GHSA and the Sports Medicine Advisory Council appreciates our member schools’ efforts during the successful implementation of the Coronavirus Guidance Plan. The GHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Council meet yesterday and elected to increase the number of participants in each group from 20 to 25 starting Monday, June 15th with the following stipulations:

1. The additional participants added to the group should be new additions only.

2. Current groups should be the same individuals (including coaches) for each session with the exception of the new participants.

3. All current recommendations and/or restrictions are still in place. Recommendations and restrictions are fluid and subject to change. Safety must be our top priority. Thanks for all you and your staff do for the student/athletes in the State of Georgia.

— Don Corr Associate Director

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May 21:

The Georgia High School Association will open up conditioning for its member schools on June 8, 2020. The plan is restrictive and provides for conditioning only. As the data related to COVID-19 continues to improve, restrictions may be reduced after input from our health care professionals and guidance from our Governor. Please make every effort to follow the recommendations and restrictions included in the guidance provided. As you return to conditioning, keep in mind that the majority of your athletes have “deconditioned” the past two months and need to work into what would be normal for this time of year. Reduce the work and gradually increase the workouts with time.

Finally, ensure that your school and system leadership are aware of this guidance and have the opportunity provide input into your plan to move forward with conditioning and for preparing and maintaining your facilities. Keep in mind that member schools may be more restrictive than the guidance but may not be less restrictive. There has never been a time more critical time for athletic departments, school administration, and system level administrators to work together.

Thank you for all you do for your athletes and please follow the guidance appropriately and keep everyone safe.

Supporting documents:
Conditioning Recommendations

Robin HinesAAConditioning_Reccommendations-_restrictions_5-20-20

Workout Questionaire

AAWorkout_Questionaire_-_COVID-19

Sample Monitoring Form

AACOVID-19_Coach-Athlete_Monitoring_Form

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Message from GHSA… May 14:

The Board of Trustees is keenly aware of the challenges you face with regard to physicals for the 2020-2021 school year. In response, they have approved an exception to allow physicals that are valid through the end of this school year to be valid through July 27, 2020 which is the first official date for practice for 2020-2021. This should assist schools in scheduling team physicals this summer or allow more time for your athletes to schedule a physical with their personal physician.

To Summarize: 1. Athletes with physicals valid through the end of this school year are given an exception through July 27, 2020. At that time a new physical for 2020-2021 must be on file prior to participation. 2. Any athlete whose physical expired prior to the end of the school year must have a current physical on file prior to participation. 3. Any student new to your school must have a current physical on file prior to participation. If the student is a transfer and brings a physical with them, it must meet the criteria listed above.

There have been numerous reports that the GHSA has released a return to practice for football. This is “fake news” as we have not released any schedule for return to practice. We are meeting with our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and gathering information from many different sources. We are Hopeful for a measured return with restrictions in June and hopefully the data will continue to support this effort. We will put a plan together as soon as possible for the Board of Trustees to consider and let you know as soon as this is completed. Until that time, all GHSA sports and activities are suspended.

For those Fall sports with Spring tryouts (cheer, volleyball, softball), schools will be allowed to schedule tryouts once we are cleared to return to practice. The GHSA Coaches Select Recruiting Event for basketball in June has been cancelled. The NCAA pushed its dead recruiting period up which conflict with the dates of the event. We will inform you of additional information regarding this event as we receive it.

The Board of Trustees agreed that the State Executive Committee will be best held in person rather than virtually. We will schedule this as soon as we receive guidance of when it is safe to do so. My thought and best guess would be that we could convene once the legislature resumes to finish their session. Again, more information will be forthcoming as soon as we receive it. Have a great day, stay safe and let me know if I can help you in any way.

Robin Hines

GOLFERS:

The GACA golf tournament will be held at SUNSET HILLS COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE IN CARROLLTON.
Monday July 20th …9 AM shotgun start.

Oak mountain Golf Course is going to be in the process of getting new greens. Thanks to Oak Mountain and Sunset Hills that have made arrangements for us to play at Sunset Hills.

Sunset Hills is a nice course and you will enjoy their hospitality and course layout. Thanks Kevin Gibbs and Justin Japour.

Thanks
BILL BAILEY
770-328-6769

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Positive Athlete Videocast – Hines Ward Encourages Your Athletes! ‌

“Lessons In Positivity” Videocast Launches!

Watch Episode 1 with Hines Ward! After hearing from many of our schools that their coaches, teachers and parents are desperate for positive content for their athletes, we started reaching out to professional and Olympic athletes to see if they would help us create encouraging messaging about staying positive during this global pandemic. We also saw the cool opportunity to give student-athletes life advice, particularly about playing sports, but also about going to college, finding a job and eventually (most likely) becoming a professional in something other than sports one day.

Positive Athlete is so excited to launch our latest project called “Lessons in Positivity”. Today we are launching Episode #1 with our key spokesperson, Super Bowl XL MVP and Georgia Bulldog great Hines Ward. WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YSDQYxhCBI&t=58s Lessons In Positivity (Episode 1) – Hines Ward Future Episodes of “Lessons in Positivity”

Multiple episodes have already been recorded with Georgia connections like John Smoltz and two-time WNBA champion and former UConn star Renee Montgomery, as well as prominent athletes from the USA National Team in different sports. The plan is to release them every 2 weeks. Scholarship Winners to be Announced Next Week!

Positive Athlete is excited to be announcing our regional scholarship winners on social media next week. Be on the lookout for these announcements on our social media pages, and if you haven’t already, give us a follow for all of the latest news, announcements and sneak peaks of new “Lessons in Positivity” episodes! Facebook: @PositiveAthGA Twitter: @PositiveAthGA Instagram: @PositiveAthGA Connect with us SHARE Facebook ‌ Twitter ‌ Celebrate Positive, 

Welcome to GACA HeadHunting Service for it’s members and schools.

The GACA boast the largest library of Georgia coaching resume’s and job postings for ALL high school sports in GEORGIA!

We are utilizing our vast network, connections and resources to match our members with job opportunities that arise in the state of Georgia. Along the same lines, employers have the ability to post a job and the GACA will provide a list of candidates to match the search. The GACA intends to help connect qualified “Georgia High School Coaches” with Georgia High School Administrators!

CLICK HERE

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