UCLA athletes adjusting to campus workouts during time of coronavirus
Thuc Nhi Nguyen, 7-22-20, LA Times
Karina Rodriguez always looked forward to this time of the year. The senior defender on the UCLA women’s soccer team understands how much of the team’s success during the fall begins during the summer. So when UCLA reopened its campus to student-athletes for voluntary workouts last month, she was eager to join, even if things looked different. Thermometers, questionnaires and masks replaced hugs, high-fives and full team meetings. She couldn’t get into the locker room. Access to the Acosta Training Center was limited. But waiting at the practice each day after Rodriguez completes a survey, scans into the building with her Bruin cards and gets her temperature taken is a familiar sight: her teammates. That one thing may make up for all of the strange differences.
“We might be six feet apart, but we’re getting through it,” Rodriguez said. “I’m thankful for anything they’ll let us do together.”
Athletes from UCLA’s fall sports teams returned for voluntary workouts starting June 22 as the school began its return-to-play plan that divided athletes into four groups that would move through four phases, from returning to campus safely, starting voluntary workouts, organizing team practices and ultimately returning to competition. All football players and local athletes from Olympic sports could begin the process first. Basketball players were in the second group, with remaining fall Olympic sport athletes and all other local athletes following before all athletes would be welcomed back with the last group.
Almost a month since starting, UCLA has not advanced to the second group of athletes, and the first group is stalled at individual, voluntary workouts as California has struggled to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The state reported 12,807 new cases Wednesday, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, a record for one day. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti has warned that the city is close to a second stay-at-home order, and L.A. County had 2,207 people hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections Monday, the fourth-highest daily total. The peak came Saturday at 2,232...
Full story at https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2020-07-22/ucla-athletes-adjusting-to-campus-workouts-during-coronavirus
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