On October 20, Cleveland saw its first sports teams begin practice after a long break due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) officially shifted all sports seasons into the spring semester, but stated that districts can provide their own guidelines until then. Portland Public Schools (PPS) announced on Oct. 15 they would allow limited, outdoor training for high school athletes at each individual school. 

Currently, the Cleveland sports holding practices include cross country, girls basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, wrestling, and track & field. 

Adhering to OSAA guidelines, all teams are holding outdoor practices with most located at the Cleveland field. Students, coaches, and staff are required to wear face masks and maintain physical distancing at all times. At arrival, students have their temperature taken, are checked in by Athletic Director Kellie Cook, and split into pods of 25 or less within their sport. These steps eliminate the risk of exposure and account for any necessary contact tracing.

Although this is far from what Cleveland athletes expected for this season, people are happy to have some in-person high school experiences. Junior Alyssa Robinson expressed this saying, “It’s fun being out here practicing with my friends and seeing people from school.”

She also talked about some of the drawbacks, saying, “It’s hard to play soccer without contact, so most of the practices have involved a lot of fitness. It’s unfortunate because wearing a mask and fitness don’t go well together.” 

Besides track and cross country, most sports have adapted their training to avoid contact by focusing on conditioning or coming up with creative drills. Despite this, Cleveland athletes are excited to be back and are more than willing to follow Covid-19 guidelines to keep the practices happening.

Athletes like Robinson are also anxious to hear news about the spring. With Covid-19 cases still high in Portland and in the state, there is great uncertainty around the ability of having a real season. As OSAA releases more information, we will make sure to keep the Cleveland community updated.