COVID-19 : Coronavirus Pandemic
Hawks Baseball recognizes that the Coronavirus pandemic impacts families in a variety of ways. Our goal is to create a flexible program that gives our Hawks families some baseball certainty in the face of very uncertain times. For example, as we have done during the Spring 2020 season, we will continue to offer valuable instruction and activities virtually if our on-field access is limited. Hawks Baseball has always worked hard to optimize the value that our families and players receive, and that will continue. We will make adjustments as needed to respond to local and state guidelines and will continue to make safety a top priority as restrictions are lifted.
Protocols (COVID-19)
Screen Your Player Before
- Give them hand sanitizer when the arrive at the field and get out of the car.
- Ask them if they feel feverish, or have a cough, or sore throat or loss of taste / smell and if they have any symptoms, please leave them at home.
- Do they have their mask with them?
- Players will bring their OWN water bottle, clearly marked with their name on it. No sharing of water bottles, and players need to bring water.
All Locations ***
- Players must arrive at least 10 minutes before the scheduled practice times. They will receive a health screen and temperature check.
- Each child should have a mask and wear it from the car to the fields and after practice from the fields to the car. This is mandatory, NOT optional.
- During practice, the players do not have to wear masks, but can if they choose.
- No shared equipment (bats, helmets, gloves, catcher’s gear)
Del Norte High School
- Entrance for Baseball players will be the MAIN gate on Deer Ridge Road. Not the gate over by the softball fields.
- SEE MAP --- ENTRANCE WILL BE WHERE THE BIG RED CIRCLE IS
- At 5 minutes before the scheduled start time, the coaches will walk the players back to the practice fields and lock the gate behind them. For now, no parents are allows on campus.
- PLAYERS NOT THERE AT LEAST 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE SCHEDULE PRACTICE TIME WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
- Players will be brought back to the MAIN gate approximately 5 minutes after the scheduled end time for the practice.
RB Community Park
- Parents can watch, socially distant from each other and away from anywhere the players could be during the course of the baseball event.
WayALife Athletics
- Drive to the REAR of the Facility, for drop off and pick.
- No parents near the practice / training areas, please.
- Additional safety measures (indoors). 10/3/2020 - Currently, we are only using the outdoor areas, including batting cage and surrounding space.
- We are only using the last 50 to 100 feet of the facility, closest to the outdoors.
- The back garage style door will be opened half way to allow for more air flow. The normal door will also be open.
- A large, industrial fan is set up to create strong air flow inside the facility.
- Social distancing measures are in place, creating a stable workout area (i.e. cone) for each athlete that is at least 6 feet from others.
- Only 2 hitting stations in the batting cage at a time --- create additional baseball training stations outside of the cage. Players not hitting, are not in the cage.
- Additional Notes about WayALife workouts:
- A reminder that for workouts / hitting at WayALife Athletics, your player can wear shorts and tennis shoes.
- Split Groups will do some baseball training with Hawks coaches and also functional strength training with a WayALife trainer, and then switch.
- If your player has a Blast sensor, be sure it is charged and on their bat --- and upload the offline swings in the Blast app after they get home.
Inter-Hawks Workouts (Scrimmages)
Hawks Baseball has given a lot of thought to safety, protocols, player development optimization, etc. We are always competing to allow our players the best, safest baseball development experience taking all the considerations into account. It’s not an easy dance.
Players / Coaches
- Players will not wear their HAWKS jersey. This is not a game. We use Sundays to practice game-like situations, while using our weekday practices to develop baseball skills. We optimize the game-like reps to optimize player development --- for example, starting each batter with a 1 and 1 count.
- Batters will wear a mask when hitting. The catcher will not.
- The first baseman will wear a mask when a runner is on first base.
- We will set up "dugout" / gear areas outside of the actual dugouts, with proper social distancing spacing of players and gear. The actual dugouts will be used for upcoming hitters (3 or 4 max), only.
- Teams will use different baseballs when playing defense.
- A coach behind the pitcher (at least 6 feet away, with mask) and will make all calls on the field, including balls and strikes.
- Coaches will wear masks (and cover their nose) when within 10 feet of any player or other person.
Parents
During our inter-Hawks workouts where we practice game-like situations, parents can watch, but we need to do a better job of complying with the following requirements:
- Please limit the number of people coming to watch from each family, to limit our overall group numbers.
- Wear a mask on your way in and out of the facility.
- Stay / setup at least 10 feet away from other families.
- If you do chat with someone from another family unit, please wear a mask and make the discussion limited.
- Parents / family members. Please follow the required guidelines for masks (must be worn if you are within 6 feet of someone not in your household).
4S Ranch Sports Park (Stands)
- The half of the stands closest to each dugout will be for the players. This will help in several ways, 1) the players will not bake out in the sun when not hitting (or on deck), or in the field, and 2) it will limit the number of players on the field at any given time, and 3) make social distancing easier overall.
- So, if you have a family member or two coming to watch the game, plan for your own shade up and down the baselines --- chairs, umbrellas, easy up canopy, etc. There are also good spots in the area directly behind home plate and back towards the bathrooms.
If you have any questions, please let me know. Safety is always a top priority!
Note from the Hawks Baseball Founder (Mark Strauch)
As a tech / systems entrepreneur for over 20 years and someone who has done just about everything operationally within an organization, I personally feel an extra sense of responsibility to use that experience to innovate during these unprecedented times. This, combined with a growth mindset and a commitment to continuous learning, I am confident that we can help our players develop as great players and people no matter the hurdles that we find in our path.
It is my commitment to all of our Hawks families and players to put together the best possible player development program taking current restrictions into consideration. It is my goal for our Hawks players to have a distinct player development advantage as we eventually return to game play --- whenever that may be.