FRC opts in for spring sports; pledges to monitor students

January 15, 2021 Editor

The Feather River College athletics department announced plans to opt in for limited Golden Valley Conference competition in Spring 2021, paving the way for student-athletes to phase in a return to campus. The decision is predicated upon compliance with local county and state guidelines that allow for athletic activity.

One driving factor that led to this decision was the fact that there have been zero cases of COVID-19 contracted on campus during the spring and fall semesters, including three student housing locations.

“FRC’s COVID protocols and precautions were the main effort on campus as we developed a plan to teach face-to-face courses that cannot be taught virtually,” stated Dr. Kevin Trutna, Superintendent/President. “We built upon some lessons learned during our spring semester to improve upon student testing, continual monitoring, and reporting. All of the data points to higher success when students have access to on-campus learning resources and reliable internet.”

There are a variety of COVID protocols that will be in place for the student athletes upon their return, including weekly or twice-a-week COVID testing, daily COVID screening, the introduction of technology to help monitor interactions, and of course, stringent guidelines regarding hygiene, class sizes, off- campus activities, and social distancing — all of which are in place to help protect students, staff, and local communities. The ultimate goal is to reintroduce a limited number of general students and student-athletes in a very cautious and methodical manner.

Feather River College wants to lead a charge back to normalcy, which begins with the reintroduction of athletic programs, a well-known pillar of the institution. This is only the start of a long road back to what were considered at one point “normal operations.” The Quincy community should benefit from the reintroduction of students who help support local businesses.

Per California Community College Athletic Association guidelines, there will be limited games only between conference opponents in the same region. No playoffs or non-conference contests will be allowed, and fans will not be allowed to attend games. FRC is prepared to livestream competition for family and community members to root on the Golden Eagles.

Each Golden Valley Conference college must adhere to strict medical training protocols for regular testing, sanitization of equipment and the gymnasium, any travel, and required COVID testing within 48 hours of any game. Medical personnel are involved in approving practice schedules, phasing in the return of student-athletes, and allowing travel and competition.

“If Plumas County’s statewide tier ranking is reduced, we have planned to incorporate GVC competition on a limited scale using protocols developed and implemented across athletic departments statewide,” commented Dr. Kevin Trutna.