Florida preparing for life with COVID-19

More than 80 football players have been tested for coronavirus since the Florida Gators began allowing players back on campus and not one has tested positive. That’s great news for the Florida Gators, as they return to a new normal with student-athletes on campus, but they’re preparing for their first positive test.

In fact, while Florida hasn’t had a test since allowing student-athletes back on campus, the Gators have had dealt with two positive tests since the pandemic started. The first was on campus in Gainesville (Florida would not release the names of the student-athletes) and the other was an athlete that wasn’t in Gainesville at the time of the test.

Student-athletes have tested positive at Alabama, Clemson and Florida State to name a few, and the reality is that Florida will have to deal with a positive test at some point.

“We are going to have to live with Covid,” associate director of sports health Stacy Higgins said. “We have had two student-athletes test positive and we managed those situations. That is something we’re going to have be ready to deal, and we are going to have live with Covid to be sure.”

Florida is preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, all while remaining realistic about the current situation.

In preparation for student-athletes to come back the University Athletic Association put together a multi-step plan to make it as safe as possible. The first step was moving all of the weight lifting equipment from the weight room in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to the Indoor Practice Facility. All student-athletes will work out there in small groups at specific times. There is an education piece to this as well, but a lot of trust will be left to the student-athletes themselves.

Shortly after allowing student-athletes back on campus, Alabama had five positive tests pop up after an impromptu workout led by players. Florida’s plan won’t allow student-athletes into any of the facilities until they have a negative COVID-19 test. There is also the education and trust that the student-athletes must be given to be safe when they leave the confines of campus and the athletic buildings.

“When they leave our facilities, they are kind of on their own,” associate director of sports health Dave Werner said. “And hope our education and both of us kind of explaining to them, really what the effects of the virus are and how it can be spread. We’re going to do our best to make sure they really understand that. We laugh all the time about probably the safest place in Gainesville will be in our facilities for our athletes with the precautions and what’s been put in place to protect them. But we’re not with them 24 hours a day and we’re just going to continue to work on the education part. And just try the best we can to have them understand moving forward what’s at stake.”

When athletes arrive to workout at their specific time there will be a new routine. They will wash their hands at one of six stations and have their temperature taken. If a player arrives with a high temperature they will be sent to a team physician and not allowed to workout that day. If their temperature is fine they will be given their own water bottle and towel. Social distancing and maintaining physical distance will be required during all workouts. When the workout is over the player will turn in their water bottle and towel. They will also be responsible for returning the workout clothes they used on that day back to team trainers so the clothes can be washed and sanitized before being returned to the athlete.

Other than meetings and workouts the players are largely on their own. Florida can only hope that the players are taking heed of what the coaches, staff, trainers, and medical professionals around them have been preaching.

In all reality Florida will have a positive test at some point.

“I know I’m getting used to giving vague answers and that’s not because I don’t want to answer questions. Believe me, Stacey and I have been in lots of discussions and lots of meetings,” Werner said. “The vague answers are coming because there aren’t a lot of great answers out there right now to give. We’re all trying to figure this out. But one thing I can assure you is we’re definitely taking the safety of our students. That’s the one thing I would really like to share. The fluidity of the situation is real.”

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC