The Game Change: Football ft. TCPS Eagles

When the Mississippi high school activities association put coronavirus risk labels on sports, football was at the top of the list.

News at ten your choice for the news.

I'm emily leonard.

When the mississippi high school activities association put coronavirus risk labels on sports, football was at the top of the list.

Nearly a month into the season, wtva's matt st.

Jean looks at how football teams are trying to decrease the risk in this week's game change.

The coronavirus hit pretty hard for fall athletes over the summer not a lot of people knew if they were going to be able to play in their senior years.

Atletes playing fall sports learn that when they get hit they hit right back.

(gets hit by player) this is the game change.

(nat pop) (track) before and after every practice, this sounds fills the tcps weight and locker rooms as football coach shaune holiday dissinfects with his new favorite toy.

(shaune) we try to spray two or three times a day that we're disinfecting everything and keeping everything clean but you know if it keeps us on the field and keeps the kids safe that's what we gotta do, that's the way the world is right now.

(track) coach holiday's son is the quarterback.

Just asking him about the spray machine brought a smile to his face.

(khi) that's all he does when he has alone time that's all he does.

(track) coach holiday is taking his player's safety seriously.

In between reps he barks "spread out," making sure his players are properly distanced.

He has managers constantly cleaning cups and supplying clean water.

Before and after practice, players have designated spots to get changed so they aren't in tight areas, and when players aren't playing, they mask up.

(khi) we can't take our mask off in the locker room, it's hard to change with it on it gets hot but we've been working hard in the weight room and doing what we do on the field.

(track) the coronavirus hit close to home for the eagles.

In august, assistant coach rob barnes died after a battle with the coronavirus.

(john herrod) me and him were really close and he was close to a bunch of people on the team it was definitely a shock, it hurt us.

(track) although he looks like a ghostbuster with the spray machine on, the players know it's for a reason.

(john) we really thought about how important it was for all the masking up and stuff like that we just took it more serious.

(track) the masks the team wear have hashtag four-him on it to honor god and honor the memory of rob barnes.

Reporting in tupelo, matt st.

Jean, wtva 9 sports.

Next week, the game change will go from outdoors to indoors as matt st.

Jean will explore the impact of the coronavirus on swim