Menlo School has been monitoring state and county health guidelines, as well as those of CIF, CCS and our leagues so that our student-athletes have the best chance of getting back to the playing fields as soon as possible, as safely as possible.
with Menlo sports (Revised): Menlo is now allowing student-athletes to participate on a Menlo sports team and on an outside club team simultaneously regardless of assigned color tier as long as the student-athlete is not traveling out of Northern California with that team. Student-athletes must continue to take weekly COVID tests and follow COVID safety practices at Menlo and with the club team.
Indoor sports: The state has updated its guidance on indoor youth sports. Indoor sports (volleyball and basketball) may return to competition and contact practice at any time if the team adheres to the additional requirements imposed on collegiate sports. The implementation and adherence to these guidelines are being worked on by the Athletics Department staff. Requirements include baseline and periodic COVID testing as well as negative test results within 48 hours of competition. Sport-specific modifications will be communicated by each team’s coach.
2.19.2021 — The state has updated its stance on youth and high school athletics participation, allowing outdoor sports competition starting Friday, Feb. 26.
Menlo Athletics Community Update 2.21.2021
In Season 1, football and water polo are among the sports allowed to begin competition next Friday in any county in the state with a per-capita case rate of fewer than 14 per 100,000 residents — which currently includes San Mateo County. Football and water polo on top of Menlo’s weekly testing requirement must have a test 24 hours prior to competition, unless the case rate is below 7 per 100,000, in which case test results are not required within 24 hours of competition. .
There are many considerations that we must review not only with county guidelines, but also the Central Coast Section, our three leagues and school policy. The School is addressing travel, officials and sport-by-sport protocol. We are thrilled about the likelihood of a competition season for many of our sports, and we will continue to share more details and developments.
Here are several resources of the news released:
- California Department of Public Health update - February 19, 2021
- Video: Gov. Gavin Newsom press conference - February 19, 2021
- California lifts COVID-19 ban on high school football, some other sports - Evan Webeck and Darren Sabedra, San Jose Mercury News
- High school sports: California’s new guidance allows football, other outdoor sports to begin play — Mitch Stephens, Max Preps
- Burning questions from big day — Mark Tennis, Cal-Hi Sports
2.2.21 — Menlo School and its associated leagues West Bay Athletic (WBAL), West Catholic Athletic (WCAL) and Peninsula Athletic (PAL) will continue to follow the Governor’s Office, State Department of Public Health, San Mateo County, and CIF/CCS authorities regarding return-to-play protocol.
All Menlo School teams in both seasons are practicing or have practice schedules in place. Please contact the varsity head coach contact for program information on any level of sport.
ImPACT/BioSway testing
To participate in athletics, all student-athletes need to have a pre-participation physical on file, all health forms completed on Magnus and completed ImPACT and BioSway testing. Here are the instructions for at-home ImPACT testing while we are in a pandemic. If you need to make an appointment with Menlo Sports Medicine, click here.
Playoffs Season I: The CCS voted to eliminate playoffs for season 1 sports as defined by CIF (cross country, football, volleyball, and water polo).
Background & Resources
guidelines on youth and adult recreational sports, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs 10 sections, including the Central Coast Section (CCS) issued a plan for return to play. Menlo will abide by the directive of the state and San Mateo County public health officials. All return-to-play plans are tentative. See the chart above for amended seasons and tentative dates.
The CIF office and California Department of Public Health have created the following information that is directly related to high school sports to help clarify guidance.
CIF Sports COVID-19 Tiers - A document that illustrates the colored tier of each county in California, along with the sports that are currently allowed in each tier. (Updated 2.2.21)
CIF All Sports Guidelines — Specific health and safety protocols created for each sport. (Updated 1.21.21)
The California Department of Public Health released guidance on Outdoor and Indoor Youth and Recreational Sports (as of 12.14.2020).
COVID Testing
Students, as well as coaches and staff, will need two consecutive tests to return to campus, and need to be tested weekly throughout participation in Menlo Athletics. Remember to upload a pdf of your results to both:
UPLOAD Athletics (for practice and competition)
UPLOAD Academics (for hybrid learning)
UPLOAD Coaches & Athletics staff
Menlo School’s COVID-19 Resource Page
Virtual training & education
Wellness Program: Menlo’s Athletic Trainers have created a series of physical and mental wellness talks for students and the whole community. Look for announcements on the Monday topics or visit the Menlo Sports Medicine video library .
Online workouts: Since March 2020, the Performance & Wellness coaches have led online workouts in addition to team-specific training. Visit @menlo_performance on Instagram.