KILLEEN, Texas — June 8 is a huge day across the state as the UIL will allow area high schools to begin their strength and conditioning programs.
Many coaches and athletes around the state, especially those in fall sports which includes football, volleyball, cross country and tennis, have had June 8 circled since the UIL released its guidelines on May 22.
"We've been in zoom meetings in preparations for Monday and they are fired up and so are we," Jerry Edwards, Head Football Coach at Harker Heights, said.
In 18 years of coaching, Edwards said he has never been away from his student athletes for this long. The expectations for Harker Heights on Monday is pretty easy, just work together.
"You know that's kind of the vital piece of a really good football team is working together," Edwards said. "Just having them all back together. They've been doing their individual workouts but there's just something about doing it together with each other."
There hasn't been any type of high school sports in Texas since March 16. The state's three largest high school organizations, the UIL, TAPPS and SPC, all canceled spring activities and state championships during the pandemic.
Student athletes will now be split up into groups throughout the day and must follow all UIL guidelines.
"You know just make sure that everybody is following the protocol and procedures," Toby Foreman, Head Football Coach at Shoemaker, said. "What we don't want is to come back and do anything that would put coming back with less restrictions in the fall because of something we did in June."
"This is the first time in 16 years I haven't had a spring football so its new for me and different," Edwards said. "That added week of practices with the extra scrimmage will be hugely beneficial this year."
Killeen ISD said when student athletes arrive next week, they will have to self screen, use hand sanitizer and fill out a questionnaire to make sure they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
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