The Indoor Practice Facility, built in 2015, is nearly 88,000 square feet of controlled football climate, but will temporarily be home to the UAA's strength-and-conditioning facilities.
IPF to Be Phase 1 Training Hub
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 | General, Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University Athletic Association's return-to-campus plan has been a well-coordinated team effort between UF Health officials, UAA administrators, athletic trainers and strength-and-conditioning coordinators. On Monday, the plan opened shop at the 88,000-square foot Indoor Practice Facility, which for now will serve as a mega-safety hub for all training Gators. Associate ADs for sports health Stacey Higgins (left) and David Werner Stacey Higgins and David Werner, associate athletic directors for sports health, participated in a Zoom call with media Tuesday and provided details of the UAA's Phase 1 plan to bring student-athletes back this summer with an eye toward the 2020-21 academic year. The process, coined "Screen. Test. Protect.," was developed by UF Health last month and gained steam this week as football players began arriving for voluntary workouts.
UF closed all athletic facilities March 13 when the sports world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's all a slow, steady process to reintroduce athletes back into the system," said Higgins, who emphasized the communication and COVID education the UAA has provided its athletes both during the quarantine and the run-up to their return. "This was done very deliberately and very intentionally, so we can try to keep this as safe as possible."
During Phase 1, no athletes are allowed facility access until being tested for COVID, with results taking about 36 hours. They also will undergo routine physical exams. Currently, about 10 to 15 athletes are being processed per day. As of Tuesday, 80 football players had been tested, with no positive results.
"It's the largest sport and it's high risk," Higgins said.
Since the COVID outbreak, only two UF athletes have tested positive for the virus, with both of those instances occurring during quarantine. The first occurred in April, the second more recently with an out-of-town athlete.
As for the training regimen for athletes who have passed their initial screens, all workouts will be staged at the IPF during Phase 1. Athletes must arrive dressed (there are no locker rooms available), go through hand-washing stations, temperature screening and a brief questionnaire, with groups limited to small numbers and only during pre-arranged times.
Weights, equipment and training stations have been relocated the south end zone training center at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to the IPF, where they're positioned along the sidelines and close to large garage doors that can be opened for air circulation.
All areas will be social-distanced.
Weightlifting equipment has been relocated from the training center in the south end zone of Ben Hill Griffin to the Indoor Practice Facility, where it will be positioned near the large doors (right) to provide student-athletes some fresh air circulation during the return for the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As far as I know, we are the only [program] in our league that has taken that precaution," Werner said of moving the weightlifting equipment into such a venue. "Dealing with the infections control people and our infections disease physicians, the likelihood of transmission of the virus is much less outside."
All training staff members, including director of football Nick Savage, will go through the same screening process and be required to wear masks. Increased cleaning and sanitation standards will be maintained.
Phase 2 of the plan will commence June 22, when the soccer and volleyball teams are introduced into the training equation. Men's and women's basketball will be added July 6.
"There are worries and there are anxieties from people around the country about coming to a college campus," Werner said. "We've spent an enormous amount of time educating not only our student-athletes but their parents. We want to make sure that they feel good about coming back to campus and that they're not worrying as some people have through this whole pandemic."
In the event an athlete tests positive, there are tracing and mitigation protocols in place that will be followed.
The details provided Tuesday focused on being proactive and preventative.
"We believe everything we have put in place at this point will help do that," Werner said.
Such is the case, of course, at venues across the country. The most knowledgeable experts can be consulted and the most diligent precautions taken, but this is still a very powerful virus. A virus, in fact, that just last week produced a reported five positive tests in the Alabama football program.
The Gators are proceeding with equal parts care and caution.
"That," Higgins said of the Crimson Tide, "could be any of us."
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