This fall semester is the first in over a year Brockport has allowed students to participate in Athletics as normal, except for some new regulations.
Safety requirements are enforced within the college, such as vaccines, social distancing and masks. Both the college and athletic department require COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, except for religious or medical exemptions. The college also strictly enforces its mask policy indoors. The athletic department follows the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) guidelines.
Erin Chapman is an athletic trainer, as well as the director of COVID-19 regulations. Chapman is also a member of a National Athletic Trainer Association Committee called the Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine.
“We follow the NCAA re-socialization guidelines. So we follow those guidelines, as well as Brockport guidelines and local and state guidelines,” Chapman said.
Masks are required campus-wide, but while actively participating in their sport, athletes are not expected to wear one.
“NCAA guidelines don’t require masks during athletic participation. They require masks if they are traveling on the bus and inside buildings. In sports like volleyball and you are on the sideline, you are wearing a mask,” Chapman said.
Athletes have different COVID-19 testing requirements than other students. While all vaccinated students are required to test once a month, athletes must partake in weekly testing.
“The weekly testing is just based upon when they have an away game. If there is a home game, they still test within that week,” Chapman said. “If it is an away contest, the testing has to be scheduled within 72 hours (of the game) or it requires three antigen tests a week, with one of them being within 24 hours of the away competition.”
The guidelines required for athletes are black and white and non-negotiable. Chapman sends out weekly update emails to all athletes, coaches and trainers, which includes the testing schedule for that week.
“You don’t test, you don’t play,” Chapman said.
The testing, mask and vaccine policies all belong to Brockport and the NCAA. With the current policies in place, athletes can safely play across the state and within the Brockport community.
