Safer Campus Initiative

We want to thank you all for your support as we have navigated COVID-19 over the past two years. While it has been a challenge for the IMG Academy community, our protocols and policies have worked well to this point and your cooperation is greatly appreciated. All COVID-19 Protocols detailed here are subject to change at any time. Due to the declining cases of COVID-19 on campus and in our community, we have updated our pandemic protocols. Currently, masks are no longer universally required on campus. This decision was made based upon our local and community rate of COVID-19 and taking into account our two-year on-campus experience with the pandemic. Masks are still recommended as an effective means of decreasing one's chance of contracting the virus and will continue to be required according to CDC guidelines for individuals who have been positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days and those who have been contact traced.

Although masks requirements have been lifted, face coverings are still encouraged while indoors as well as practicing social distancing. High-quality N95 or KN95 masks are recommended by the CDC and provide the most effective protection against the coronavirus. Although student-athletes are not required to be fully vaccinated to attend IMG Academy, we continue to strongly encourage all students to become fully vaccinated as soon as they are eligible or as soon as possible. For the CDC’s most recent definitions of “fully vaccinated,” click here.

Masks will still be required in the following areas:

When entering the Health Services Clinic
When being treated at the John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Physical Therapy Clinic
When being treated by an athletic trainer
When entering any areas labeled with “MASKS REQUIRED” signage

In addition to the change in our mask policy, we will no longer require testing of asymptomatic boarding students upon return to campus after non-IMG sanctioned overnight trips off-campus. Student-athletes will continue to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms using the COVID Questionnaire and are advised to stay off campus until a negative test is obtained if they have symptoms.

Lastly, based upon recent medical recommendations from national organizations, we will be decreasing our Return-to-Play protocol for COVID-19 positive student-athletes from 7 days to 5 days.

At this point the following COVID-19 protocols will remain in place:

The need for everyone to monitor their health daily and to protect others when ill. This includes wearing a mask and reporting your illness
Maintain social distancing when around others
Wash or disinfect hands frequently
Health screenings

IMG Academy is continuing to use the utmost of caution regarding the health and safety of everyone on campus. We have been following guidelines recommended by the CDC, Johns Hopkins, and the Florida Department of Health. We have established specific protocol and procedures applicable to all campus visitors, employees, and our overall facilities.

BOARDING SCHOOL PROTOCOLS

VACCINATION (Jan. 5, 2022)

Student-athletes are not required to be fully vaccinated to attend IMG Academy. However, given the ongoing COVID pandemic and in consideration of the health and safety of everyone in the IMG Academy community, we urge all students to get fully vaccinated as soon as they are eligible or as soon as possible. For the CDC’s most recent definitions of “fully vaccinated,” click here.

If your child is already partially or fully vaccinated, please submit records to SchoolDoc at app.schooldoc.com. If their vaccination status has changed from the fall semester, please email to [email protected]. Students whose vaccination records were submitted during the fall semester must be resubmitted via SchoolDoc.

If you are interested in having your student-athlete vaccinated, please email [email protected]. If a student receives a vaccination through the school year, vaccination cards must be sent to [email protected] to update SchoolDoc.

Return to Play (Feb. 7, 2022)

Our Return-to-Play protocol closely follows the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine guidelines. Under these guidelines, student-athletes who have tested positive must see a physician and meet criteria to be cleared from quarantine prior to starting a seven-day return-to-play protocol. Students that have symptoms such as prolonged fever, chest pain or other signs of moderate illness may require cardiology testing prior to starting the protocol. If at home, students-athletes can see a physician at home in order to start the protocol. In addition, parents should contact their respective sport athletic trainer if they are starting the protocol at home.

Return to Play Protocol

If you have questions, contact Philip DuPerry, IMG’s Health & Safety Manager, at [email protected].

TEAM TRAVEL

Parents are permitted to sign-out their child while on team-sanctioned trips for meals only. While on a team-sanctioned trip, if a student-athlete is signed out for an extended period of time, a Reach Request must be submitted. However, they must follow Return-to-Campus protocols before returning to the Academy.

Parents are not permitted to join student-athletes or team in lodging or during travel on team-sanctioned trips.

SIGN-OUTS + OFF-CAMPUS TRIPS (Jan. 14, 2022)

Parents

Parents are permitted to sign-out their child for day and overnight trips off-campus. Students must remain under their parents’ supervision at all times while off-campus.

If a student leaves campus overnight, regardless of vaccine status, they will be required to be tested for COVID-19, obtain a negative result, and complete the Health Questionnaire before returning to their dorm.

The test results will need to be from a test taken within 24 hours of arriving on campus. The test can be a PCR or Rapid Antigen test (not an at-home testing kit). Results must include the student's name, test date, test result, and test type. If the test is positive, the student must remain off campus for 10 days before returning.

During this time, host families are not permitted to sign-out students for off-campus trips.

Students who test positive (Feb. 7, 2022)

If a student has tested positive while on or off campus, the following protocols will apply.

CONTACT TRACING (Feb. 7, 2022)

The CDC considers a person fully vaccinated if they are 5-17 years old and have finished their two-dose vaccination series (Pfizer or Moderna). Those 18-and-older are considered fully vaccinated if they have completed the two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna) in the last six months, finished a Johnson & Johnson vaccination in the last two months or have received a third booster vaccination. This is a change that was just released related to the 5-17-year-old group.

If a student is identified as a close contact, the following protocols will apply.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

Indoor spacing in classrooms will be three feet while spacing in the cafeteria will be open seating. Classroom seating gives us the ability to know who is in each room for contact tracing purposes, whereas the cafeteria remains open seating, making it more difficult to contact trace. This will still allow for the recommended CDC spacing and we can return to a more normal classroom setup.

Based on the extremely low probability of contracting COVID-19 outdoors, paired with our vaccination rates, there will be no physical distancing required when outdoors.

Boarding School Protocol FAQs

Who is IMG Academy working with to build their health and safety protocols?

IMG Academy is working in close conjunction with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, our on-campus health service provider and following the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health.
Are classes in-person, online or hybrid?

Classes are currently taking place in person on IMG campus. If you are an international student that is required by government order to self-isolate prior to arrival or have to miss the beginning of the school year because they test positive, please reach out to your advisor so we can discuss how classes and sport will look for you.
Are masks mandatory?

Masks are no long mandatory when indoors but are recommended.
Do boarding students have interactions with non-boarding students? What are protocols for non-boarding students?

Yes, boarding students have interactions with non-boarding students. Non-boarding students are asked to self-screen each day and remain off campus if they are not feeling well. Coaches also check in with students ahead of practice to make sure no one is exhibiting symptoms. Non-boarding students are not permitted in on campus dorms.
What is your process for a positive case on campus?

If a student tests positive for COVID-19 at any point while at IMG Academy, IMG Academy’s Director of Health and Safety will work with JHACH and the Florida Department of Health to administer any necessary contact tracing. The positive student will then be isolated either in Health Services away from other student-athletes and campers or in one of our isolation villas with a private bathroom. The student will then be isolated for 5 days as recommended by the CDC and county health officials. Parents/Guardians of the sick student may come and take the student home if able.

JHACH has a 24-hour health clinic located onsite that is prepared to test for COVID-19 and has established their own internal protocols and procedures for the care of all patients with, or presumptive for, infectious diseases.
Where will students be isolated if they test positive for COVID-19?

The student will be quarantined in Health Services away from other student-athletes. We also have areas on campus that we have reserved for isolation cases and will notify parents of that location if/when their student needs to be moved. The students will still be monitored by JHACH staff and Campus Life who will check on their health as well as bring food. The student will then be quarantined for 5 days as recommended by the CDC and county health officials. Parents/Guardians of the sick student may come and take the student home if able.
What safety measures are in place in the academic building and in classrooms?

Classes are organized so desks and students are physically distanced at least three feet from one another based on CDC recommendations for classrooms. Sanitizing stations with automatic hand sanitizer dispensers and disinfecting wipes are available in each classroom.
Is there an online schooling contingency plan for someone who becomes ill and has to quarantine?

Yes, we have distance learning options available for those who have to self-isolate or quarantine.
What precautions will be taken when other schools come to play at IMG Academy?

We plan to share with other teams our guidelines for how we are keeping our kids safe, and we expect them not to have kids who are sick or have a family member that is sick to be traveling.
What is contact tracing and what does the experience of a student look like if they are contact traced to a positive case?

Contact tracing is the act of tracing individuals who were within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, 48 hours prior to the start of symptoms. These individuals could be at risk of contracting the virus. Parents of contact traced students will be notified and the student will be isolated to a single room with a private bathroom. The individual will have to remain isolated for 5 days and our aim is to provide separate sport training as well as a distance learning plan to the extent that it is safe to do so.

Under CDC guidelines, vaccinated close contacts will be tested to ensure they are not asymptomatic carriers. Vaccinated individuals will be tested for COVID-19 immediately and quarantined until test results are available. If the test results are negative and they show no symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell, etc.), they will be released from quarantine and follow additional CDC precautions for the next 10 days.
Where can I find COVID-19 testing in my area?
Below are some potential U.S. based testing options that you may find helpful when determining where to get a test for your student-athlete.
- At Home Testing: You may want to consider testing at home with a company like Vault. Vault will send you a test kit, which can be used in the convenience of your home, returned and results provided within 72 hours. If you opt for this method, please be sure to reserve your test kit early.
- Testing in your Area: To find testing sites in your area, please visit the Department of Health and Human Services website and use their locator tool to find a testing site closest to you.
- Testing upon arrival in Florida: If you are local, or are arriving to Bradenton early please check the Manatee County Website for the most up-to-date information on state testing sites or make an appointment ahead of time with Ellenton Urgent Care (941-531-2800), Bayshore Urgent Care (941-909-7900), or Doctor4You Clinic (941-758-0205).

CURRENT HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Social Distancing:

IMG Academy personnel, athletes and any campus visitors will be required to comply with all social distancing guidelines in effect when on campus. The social distancing guidelines will be in accordance with the then-current federal, state and local recommendations, which is currently six feet.

Cleaning & Sanitation Procedures:

Enhanced cleaning and sanitation methods will be employed based on CDC recommendations to reduce risk to staff and athletes on campus. Some key elements of the cleaning and sanitation plan are noted below:

Routine cleaning and disinfecting of communal spaces and commonly used surfaces
Increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of communal spaces and commonly used surfaces
Wipes and sanitizing spray are available and used by athletes for all shared training equipment and other items immediately after use.
Touchless dispensers containing hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of 60% or greater have been placed in highly trafficked areas around campus.

CAMP PROTOCOLS

IMG Academy continues to use the utmost of caution to ensure the health and safety of everyone on campus. We have been following guidelines recommended by the CDC, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and the Florida Department of Health, and have established specific protocols and procedures applicable to all campus visitors, employees, and our overall facilities.

For the most up-to-date travel restrictions, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website by clicking here.

JOHNS HOPKINS ALL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is the exclusive provider of health services at IMG Academy. The Johns Hopkins All Children’s health services team on-site includes pediatric sports medicine specialists, nurses, and physical therapists. Their team has been an incredible resource as we’ve worked to reopen our campus this year. Dr. Patrick Mularoni, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital medical director of health services at IMG Academy, has advised our leadership team and acted as liaison with local public health officials to keep IMGA up-to-date on the latest information.

Please be sure to complete your health and safety forms in SchoolDoc as well as the JHACH Questionnaire that will be sent to you 24 hours prior to your arrival on campus. Campers cannot participate in any camp activities until all required forms are completed.

TRAVEL TIPS FROM JOHNS HOPKINS ALL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital recommends that all campers traveling to IMG adhere to strict social distancing and mask use during their travel. Travelers should make sure to wash their hands regularly.

BEFORE ARRIVAL

Before arriving on campus, we need to learn more about your camper’s recent health and travel history.

Please be sure to complete your health and safety forms in SchoolDoc as well as the JHACH COVID Questionnaire. These will be sent to you a week prior to camp arrival.
As part of this process, proof of COVID vaccination (for those that are fully vaccinated).
Campers will not be allowed on campus if these forms have not been completed.
Campers cannot participate in any camp activities until all required forms are completed.

CHECK-IN AND ARRIVAL

Upon arrival, all campers and families will be directed to the Academic Center Porch where the check-in process will be conducted. Only campers who have submitted all required documents, completed the online COVID Questionnaire and passed a health screening will be allowed on campus.

Out of an abundance of caution we are limiting facility access for parents and families due to health and safety of our on-campus population. Campers should be brought to the Ascender Dorms where Campus Life staff will be waiting to assist with move-ins and will have activities outdoors for families to enjoy.

Please note the below reminders as you prepare to check-in with us:

Check-in will take place between 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Academic Center Porch; Please enter campus using the Bollettieri Blvd. entrance.
Campers should only have immediate family with them at check-in.
The Campus Center will be open to campers and families for food, shopping and access to the Health Clinic. We ask that campers remain on campus for the full duration of their scheduled camp and leave for only approved, emergency, purposes.

DURING CAMP

Daily health screenings will conducted by IMG staff member. Campers exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms while on campus will be sent to Health Services. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital will then follow established procedures recommended by the Department of Health to isolate and administer a COVID-19 test for the individual if necessary. Isolation will occur either in Health Services away from other campers or in one of our APV units with a private bathroom.

For their safety and the safety of others, the camper will be unable to participate in camp activities until cleared by Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. All campers are expected to abide by our Campus Health and Safety Protocols, as well as the IMG Academy Camp Rules.

A copy of the camp rules can be found in SchoolDoc.

For more information regarding COVID-19 and our purchace policy, please click here.

IF A CAMPER TESTS POSITIVE

If a camper tests positive for COVID-19 at any point while attending camp at IMG Academy, IMG Academy’s Director of Health and Safety will work with JHACH and the Florida Department of Health to conduct any necessary contact tracing.

Parents/Guardians of the sick camper and parents/guardians of any campers who have been deemed a close contact, will be required to arrange for the camper to leave campus within 48 hours (international) or 24 hours (domestic) of receipt of notice.

While we know this is not ideal, it is essential in maintaining a safe environment for the remainder of the IMG Academy community.

CAMP CHECK-OUT

Campers must be checked out of their residence hall by 11 a.m. on check-out day.

If your camper is being transported to the airport:
- After receiving their check-out pass from their Campus Life Mentor, campers should go to the Campus Desk to collect their passport, remaining spending money, and meet up with their IMG transport.
If you are coming to pick up your camper:
- Parents should plan to meet their camper at the Camps Center Desk.
- o After receiving their check-out pass from their Campus Life Mentor, campers should go to the Campus Desk to collect their passport, remaining spending money, and meet up with their parents.
- Please feel free to call the Campus Center for additional info or to let us know you are on your way at 941-749-8748.
Non-boarding campers will automatically be checked out after their last training session and do not need to return to campus.

Protocols for EMPLOYEES

• Employees are utilizing a COVID screening application before leaving for work to determine if they have any COVID-19 symptoms (fever or chills, shortness of breath, cough, new loss of taste or smell, etc.). If employees or a household contact begins to feel sick, they are asked to report it to their manager and HR immediately and stay home until further notice.
• Any employee who has flu-like symptoms or comes in close contact with someone who has flu like symptoms is required to tell their manager and will be asked to stay off campus for a minimum of 5 days.
Habitual hand washing and sanitizing advisories and guidelines that we put in place in March 2020 will be heralded by employees before and after practice, before and after meals, and during any other group activities as applicable.

General COVID-19 Information

Travel
Campers & Parents / Visiting Teams / Event Operators & Participants & Professional Athletes
Legacy Hotel / Academy Park Villas / Lodge & Bollettieri Resort Villas
IMG Academy Golf Club
John Hopkins All Children's Hospital / Gatorade Sport Science Institute

Travel

On November 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted international COVID-19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated non-US citizens and non-US immigrants. US citizens are advised not to travel internationally unless they are fully vaccinated.

Please consult the CDC for a complete list of current travel requirements.

The CDC currently recommend getting tested and/or staying home after higher risk travel. Testing before and after travel can reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. Testing does not eliminate all risk, but when paired with a period of staying at home and precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at travelers’ destinations.

CAMPERS & PARENTS / VISITING TEAMS / EVENT OPERATORS & PARTICIPANTS & PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES

For immediate questions contact [email protected] or call 941-749-8660. Or, call/email your advisor directly.

View our full camp health and safety information

IMG Academy Golf Club

The Golf Club still remains open at this time, but please see their website for current policies or contact [email protected].

JOHNS HOPKINS ALL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL / GATORADE SPORT SCIENCE INSTITUTE

Patients coming for physical therapy from off-campus have since been rescheduled at alternative facilities. Students who remain on campus still have access to physical therapy.
Gatorade Sport Science Institute is conducting lab operations in accordance with PepsiCo COVID guidelines (athlete testing based on project availability).

IMG Academy

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by: IMG Academy

Mar 5, 2020

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