CSU football gamers and university athletic department staff state coaches have informed players not to report COVID-19 signs, threatened gamers with decreased playing time if they quarantine and claim CSU is altering contact tracing reports to keep players practicing.
If fall sports are played, and they state those actions by the athletic administration is putting their health at threat in return for monetary gain the school would receive.
Football players stated they want to play this season however dont think there should be a season provided the spike in positive cases on the group in the past 2 weeks and the danger of more once Colorado States full trainee body comes to school later on this month.
” I believe there is a cover-up going on at CSU,” stated an existing football gamer who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. “But they could just cover it up so long and now that we have many cases throughout sports, they cant cover it up any longer. Its not about the health and safety of the gamers but about simply attempting to generate income off the players.”.
Said an athletic department team member: “There are some red flags in the athletic department but the common measure with this administration is to protect the coaches before the student-athletes and that makes them feel more like cattle than student-athletes.”.
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The gamer and personnel member were 2 of 10 players and staff who contacted the Coloradoan in the previous week relating to CSUs handling of athletics and COVID-19. None wished to be identified for fear of retribution.
CSU athletic director Joe Parker said he is dissatisfied in the criticism however believes CSU has a strong COVID-19 plan in a time of unpredictability and fluidity.
” This (student-athlete) population is the most evaluated population there is here however obviously some feel that is not a great adequate task to make them feel comfortable regarding their health, “he said. Like universities throughout the country, CSU has in place standards from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local and state health department and NCAA for practice in an effort to have fall sports seasons.
Since of the nature of the sport, football gamers and personnel acknowledged it is virtually impossible to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 policies. Still, they feel forced to play and practice.
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” I think everybody could be doing a better job,” the gamer said. “But for our coaches to inform players not to tell trainers if they have symptoms since we had numerous guys out is wrong.”.
Parker said if coaches have told gamers that, it is inappropriate and runs counter to everything the university is doing to avoid spreading out the virus.
Gamers said a variety of athletes from different sports attended a celebration around the Fourth of July vacation which might have been a source of the rise in favorable tests.
Parker agreed the incident appears to have stimulated the boost. He stated as hard as it is for student-athletes to abide by COVID-19 precaution outside of practices, not abiding by those guidelines puts themselves and other players and personnel at danger.
Parker stated formerly that there were no favorable COVID-19 tests for professional athletes since July 20. That number increased to 16, consisting of 11 football gamers, since Sunday.
Gamers and staff verified there were 27 players, about a quarter of the team, missing out on due to COVID-19 at the last practice July 29 prior to the university willingly paused practices.
Monday, CSU evaluated 150 professional athletes. Outcomes are expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
” Because we didnt have student-athletes with us over our football time out, I do not understand what will we see when they return to school,” Parker said. “I hope the Fourth of July was a wake-up call.”.
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Katie ODonnell, spokesperson for the Larimer County health department, verified CSU voluntarily closed down practices but stated the department was keeping a close eye on the program prior to that due to the increasing number of positive cases.
Players and athletic staff stated they believed the time out needs to have happened a week previously but that coach Steve Addazio was determined to get practices in.
Players stated fitness instructors stress sticking to security standards throughout training however compliance is hard. They said they are suppose to use face coverings during conditioning and practice drills but the masks make it difficult to breathe a lot of players take them down. The gamers and staff said that makes spread of the disease inevitable.
” We had a player who absolutely had coronavirus symptoms coughing at practice and he wasnt wearing a mask and I was next to him, touching him and there was spit and sweat,” a player stated. Thats why a lot of players dont feel safe at football practice.”.
Gamers and personnel stated Addazio, 61, and protective coordinator Chuck Heater, 67, seldom wear their masks. Since of their age and also sets a bad example for the rest of the group, they stated that is dangerous to themselves.
Players and athletic staff also voiced concern over the reporting protocol, declaring quarantine procedures vary extremely which coaches are pushing health administrators not to quarantine athletes so they can continue to practice.
Parker challenged that claim.
” There is no influence from our coaching staff on those type of choices and those choices are made outside of the athletic department and that is the method I want it,” he said.
CSUs athletic screening is done through UCHealth, which sends out test outcomes directly to the state and county health departments. All reports of possible direct exposure or signs and contact tracing is managed by the CSU Public Health Department, which through interviews determines if those included should self-isolate or quarantine.
According to football players and staff, players have been exposed to other players with signs and who evaluated positive– and while some were quarantined, others were permitted to practice.
In another case, a source said four volley ball gamers had lunch together for about an hour at an arms length away without using masks. One tested favorable for COVID-19.
The 3 were surprised that they werent quarantined provided they admitted they did not follow CDC standards.
The source stated Terry DeZeeuw, associate athletic director for Sports Performance and head athletic trainer, was asked if the volleyball report was readily available to read. He stated no. When asked if the report stated the gamers admitted to not using masks, Dezeeuw stated the players told the interviewer that they were using masks.
” What takes place if we are not sticking to CDC policies and letting some of these student-athletes practice then somebody ends up on a breathing tube?” an athletic employee stated. “How can we trust what is being reported when we see that some student-athletes should certainly be quarantined and they are not. Thats just damn incorrect.”.
Riess did not react to an e-mail and voicemail message since 3 p.m. Tuesday.
ODonnell stated Larimer County Health works carefully with CSU public health to help assist its decisions and will continue to examine the procedure.
Gamers told the Coloradoan they are concerned about not understanding who evaluated positive, believing the athletic department is trying to conceal the details.
However Parker said HIPPA guidelines do not allow CSU to reveal the names of those who evaluate favorable.
Gamers voicing similar concerns about COVID-19 health dangers have actually emerged at Virginia Tech, Washington State and throughout college football and belongs of the #WeAreUnited movement that has actually stimulated conversations around racial and economic oppressions in college football.
Parker stated no CSU players have actually approached administration to opt out of playing this year but that he would listen to issues. A CSU football player said he has actually become aware of no player desiring to pull out.
Bye bye Vandy: Vanderbilt most current football game cancelled due to COVID-19.
With all the health threats included with trying to play collegiate sports this fall, some think the danger isnt worth the reward..
” At the end of the day, what we are trying to do to conserve the season is not a sustainable design,” an athletic personnel member stated. “We cant even get through practices.
Reporter Miles Blumhardt searches for stories that affect your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports– you call it, he wishes to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work which of other Coloradoan journalists by buying a digital subscription today..
” I think there is a cover-up going on at CSU,” said a present football gamer who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. Its not about the health and safety of the players but about just trying to make money off the players.”.
They stated they are expect to use face coverings throughout conditioning and practice drills but the masks make it hard to breathe so lots of gamers take them down.” We had a player who absolutely had coronavirus signs coughing at practice and he wasnt wearing a mask and I was next to him, touching him and there was spit and sweat,” a player stated. When asked if the report mentioned the players confessed to not using masks, Dezeeuw said the gamers informed the job interviewer that they were using masks.
