Charger summer sports up and running

(Rerun from last week in case you missed it as we want everyone to be aware of the precautions in place.) 

On June 10th, Governor Walz moved Minnesota into Phase 3 of his COVID-19 Plan. This provides us with more flexibility in offering summer sports and activities to our Charger students and athletes. At this time there are no games or scrimmages allowed for medium or high risk sports (basketball, baseball, volleyball, and football) due to the Governor’s order, but we are able to have small group team practices as long as we follow guidelines by the State of Minnesota.  

All of our coaches have created COVID-19 safety plans for their sport or activity, along with a tentative summer schedule (please keep in mind that everything is still changing quite rapidly as this is still a fluid situation). COVID-19 plans and tentative schedules will be available at your son/daughter’s first practice.  

Here is the breakdown of what is being offered this summer:

Summer Rec Baseball

Contact Jason Grandstrand for questions on practice days. Practice times, however, are split into groups: 2nd graders going into 3rd grade-4th graders (Small Fries) will practice at 9am-10am. 5th-9th graders (Peewees and Midgets) will practice at 10:15-11:15am. There will be no transportation offered by the schools; athletes will need their own transportation to practice. There will be a mandatory parent meeting during your son/daughters first practice with Coach Grandstrand. Fee for summer rec baseball is $35 including a t-shirt or just $10 for the fee with no shirt. This should be paid at the first practice.

Volleyball

Practices are for girls in 7th-12th grade. Girls are divided into 3 groups. Groups 1 and 2 will meet on Mondays in Grygla and Thursdays in Goodridge from 4:30pm-6:15pm. Group 3 (younger athletes) will meet once a week on Mondays outside at the sand courts (pending weather). Group 3 will alternate each week between Goodridge and Grygla.  

Girls Basketball

Practices will be for grades 9-12. The girls will be in Grygla on Mondays from 6:30-8:00pm and in Goodridge on Thursdays from 6:30-8:00pm. 

Boys Basketball

Practices will be for grades 9-12. The boys will be in Goodridge on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30pm and in Grygla on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm. 

Football

There was a 9-12 grade football meeting on Monday night, June 15th, at the Grygla football field. Coach Wilebski handed out summer workouts and talked about expectations for the players. Coach Wilebski is tentatively planning a mini football camp for 9-12 players later in July, if possible.  

Grygla Accel/

Weight Room

Monday-Thursday, beginning June 15th through July 30th or August 6th. Time will be 7-9am for grades 7-12. Cost $50/student. Coordinator: Brady Olson.

Goodridge Weight Room

Monday-Thursday, beginning June 15th through July 30th or August 6th. Time will be 7-9am for grades 7-12. Cost $50/student. Coordinator: Katelyn Tharaldson.

Letter from the school

First and foremost, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. We have received questions from the community about if and how COVID-19 will change this year’s athletic season. We know this outbreak has been stressful to many and recognize that exercising and participating in activities like sports can be a healthy way to cope with stress and connect with our community. After careful thought and planning, we are excited to let you know that we plan to resume summer youth sports and high school activities while following CDC, MDH, and MSHSL considerations to protect players, families, and our community.  

There will be no games or scrimmages as this time, we are just going to practice with our own team. This is due to the Governor’s order. We will inform athletes and parents when and if we are able to have games and scrimmages this summer. In order for us to have games and scrimmages it would take Governor Walz to further open things up in Minnesota.  

The health and safety of our athletes, staff, and volunteers remain our highest priority. Below, you will find a summary of actions we are taking to help ensure we are lowering COVID-19 risk as much as possible while also allowing our athletes to play. 

We are:

• Intensifying cleaning, disinfection, and ventilation within our facilities and premises by cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces on the field, court, or play surface between use.   

• Reducing physical closeness or contact between players when possible by allowing players to focus on building individual skills, keeping athletes in small groups (no more than 10 inside and 25 outside), and practicing social distancing. 

• Postponing travel outside of our community by just practicing in our communities, until we enter Phase 4 of the Governor’s COVID-19 plan.  

• Requesting that parents do not attend practices.  

• Limiting the sharing of equipment to minimize the need to share. We encourage players to bring their own equipment. 

Anyone who is sick or has been in contact with someone who has COVID-19— including players, family members, coaches, staff and spectators — should not attend practices or games. Be on the lookout for symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Call your doctor if you think you or a family member is sick.

If someone does get sick during practice, we have plans in place to isolate and transport that person to their home or healthcare facility. If you have a specific question about this plan or COVID-19, please contact Tom Loberg or Jamie Lunsetter, Goodridge-Grygla Chargers Athletic Directors, for more information. You can also find more information about COVID-19 at www.cdc.gov.