Windsor-Essex schools open gyms, fields to all students, regardless of vaccination status

Windsor-Essex public and Catholic schools are again opening their fields and gyms to all students for sports and extracurricular activities, no matter their vaccination status.

Extracurricular activities and sports at area schools were shut down before Christmas due to surging Omicron variant cases in Windsor-Essex.

While those activities resumed last month, they were only open to fully-vaccinated students.

Due to falling case numbers, however, all students can again take to area courts and fields, said John Ulicny, executive superintendent of education and human resources with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.

"We're excited now to have the opportunity as a board to welcome back into the fold all of our students, to give them that opportunity to participate in sports and extracurricular activities," he said.

Seasons in progress

Ulicny said some high school sports seasons are underway, including basketball, hockey and volleyball.

Those seasons will conclude in April, with a spring season to follow; the spring season includes baseball, softball, soccer, and track and field. Other activities may be added, as well.

Ulicny said most students who have been unable to play so far this year will likely need to wait until the spring season, although some students may be able to join a season that's currently in progress.

"We spoke to our principals with respect to this, and they're looking at it on a case by case basis, because many of the activities are well underway and are actually close to conclusion," he said. "But it is a full opportunity in the spring for all students to be able to participate regardless of vaccination status."

A restriction on spectators remains in place, but that may be lifted in the near future, depending on provincial directives, Ulicny said.

All staff and coaches will need to be vaccinated, however, or agree to regular rapid COVID-19 tests. Volunteers must also be vaccinated.

Staff and coaches will also be required to wear masks when not engaged in physical activity.

The policy change was good news for W.F. Herman Secondary School Grade 11 student and football player Dean Facca.

"I think it's about time, really," he said. "A lot of the mandates and stuff like that have been lifted."

Hopeful for spring start to football season

Facca is fully vaccinated, but hasn't had a chance to play football in two years. He said he's hoping for a spring football season, but hadn't heard any updates as to when play might start as of Tuesday.

"It's really made school, I guess, a little bit different," he said of the lack of football. "Grade nine, you want a scholarship, right? So you actually feel like, 'Oh, I should probably do better in school if I win a scholarship.'"

"But you not playing makes it a little bit harder to actually for some people, including myself, to really find that motivation to do better in school," Facca said. "A lot of kids, I notice too, the sports keep them out of trouble ... because they have something to occupy their lives."

A lack of sports has affected high school athletes in other ways, too, Facca said. It's harder, for example, to find the motivation to work out without encouragement from coaches or teammates, and the friendships are important, as well.

"When you're with your team, it's a family," he said. "There's a lot of people I know, their family lives outside of sports aren't really the best."

"A lot of people ... including me, made really, really close friends from a sports team, where you can tell those people what's going on in your life like they were your brothers."