The sports not required to use masks while competing also have procedural questions to address. вЂњIf weвЂ™re going to have a season we need to have everyone comfortable with it,вЂќ said Flax, who accepted an athletic scholarship to Drake University in Iowa.ДЇor now, football cannot take place until counties reach the moderate-risk orange tier in CaliforniaвЂ™s four-color reopening system. He said they want to send a message to parents who might be worried about safety during the pandemic. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)ДЄustin Flax, a football and track standout at Mountain View High School, said coverings have not been an issue for him and teammates who have trained in small groups without masks hoping to have a season.ДЇlax said they wear facial coverings when coming or going to the field or congregating in a parking lot. In many cases, the athletes seem willing to do whatever they can to compete.Д¬alвЂ™s Asher Coats, 15, lies on the field with his mask while stretching before the boysвЂ™ junior varsity cross-country meet at Dublin High. вЂњI donвЂ™t know how they do but they do it,вЂќ Shine said. But he also marvels at the teensвЂ™ adaptability. Shine said he struggles to see all the court while wearing a mask and is worried his players could get hit by a ball. вЂњI can see the kids sucking their masks in their mouths all the time,вЂќ he said of bad facial covering habits. Shine, whose teams have won 15 Central Coast Section championships and 13 NorCal titles, said he has not found a comfortable mask. Tennis coach Bill Shine at powerhouse Menlo School has more questions than answers as the girlsвЂ™ West Bay Athletic League season is scheduled to start March 9. He said cotton is too absorbent, suggesting a blend of cotton with other fabrics like polyester. For now, Kravitz recommends multilayer masks with one layer having an antimicrobial agent that kills microorganisms. The exercise science professor has started a study this semester to measure masksвЂ™ effectiveness during exertion. Generally, wearing a mask during training takes an adjustment, said Kravitz, a former San Jose State instructor. In December, the World Health Organization reported that factory-made fabric masks should meet minimum thresholds in three areas: filtration, breathability and fit. вЂњNone of which is easy to do for a long period of time.вЂќ вЂњWe tried running with a bunch of masks on,вЂќ he said. Granada High coaches Noel and Jeremy Mattern also experimented with masks on training runs along LivermoreвЂ™s Arroyo Mocho Trail to help their cross-country team decode the mask mystery. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) GranadaвЂ™s Alexis Rosenberg, 15, adjusts her mask after competing Saturday during a junior varsity cross-country meet at Dublin High. The Bells have just started tryouts so Agelson said he does not know how masks might affect his golfers.

The golf coaches tried compression masks with copper thread that helps kill bacteria and viruses and Mission cooling gaiters among others, he said.ДЄgelson said the masks did not impede swing techniques or performance. вЂњWhen we started we didnвЂ™t know what one-ply or two-ply meant,вЂќ he said. Louie Agelson, Bellarmine College Prep golf coach, said he and his staff have sampled masks since June to try to find the best ones for their athletes. The updated guidelines did not specify which mask works best. Last month, officials from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced masks would be required for most sports even while performing high-intensity activities.ДЄmong the exemptions are cross-country, track, swimming and water polo. He said some use surgical masks as well as the N95, a disposable, tight-fitting covering that is not recommended for physical activities because it breaks down when sweat and moisture seep inside. Williams said most of his runners wear cloth masks. Williams said he abandoned his project even though the scientists later said the media misinterpreted their findings. Then Duke researchers published a study saying gaiters and bandanas offered little protection. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)ДublinвЂ™s Williams had the novel idea of making neck gaiters last summer to help promote wearing masks. Dublin cross-country coach Chris Williams prepares to fire the starting pistol during a junior varsity meet on Saturday.

Dublin high school track and field