By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Barton Community College remains one of the few junior colleges, especially in Kansas, that are conducting COVID-19 tests for student athletes. It is a step that Barton feels will not only keep their students safe but also mitigate the issues of quarantines and postponing games and competition.
Out of 120 student athletes tested for the coronavirus last Tuesday, Barton had one positive result. Out of the 100 student athletes tested this week, there were no positives tests.
Barton Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs
presented the Barton Community College Board of Trustees the information at
this week’s study session as he and the rest of the staff prepare for the return of competition this week.
"What I have got from my colleagues around the conference is they do not have anywhere to quarantine kids," said Rolfs. "Let's say they have 15 to 20 students to quarantine, they do not have places to put them. At Barton, we have areas and Camp Aldrich to place the students if we need to. Most schools do not have those places."
Barton purchased two pieces of equipment to conduct the rapid testing that cost
$350 each. Each individual COVID-19 test costs $35 and produces results within
minutes.
Any athlete that tests positive will be required to quarantine for 10 days and the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) is requiring athletes to wait seven more days following their quarantine to play. Barton will also require the athletes to get another physical following the 10 days.
A doctor,
rather than the college, will approve or deny the athlete the ability to return
to competition. With unknown lingering effects from COVID, this reduces the
college’s liability and more importantly, improves the students' safety.
"We are doing everything we can to try to keep kids safe," said Rolfs. "I talk about our liability, but more important than that, we want to make sure the kids are safe."
The National Junior College Athletics Association last summer made the decision
to delay all sports, except cross country and e-sports, to the second semester.
Getting started in January for the majority of Barton’s 22 sports, several
teams will be competing at the same time or overlapping their seasons.