UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero offers guidance to athletes in coronavirus limbo

UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero provided guidelines for Bruins athletes amid the coronavirus pandemic in a letter posted on the school’s website Thursday, saying the suspension of all athletic activities would continue as long as stay-at-home orders from state and county health officials were in effect.

Weight rooms also will remain closed when the spring quarter starts Monday, though limited access to the Acosta training room will be available by appointment for athletes rehabilitating from injuries or receiving medical treatment. The Pac-12 Conference had previously announced the cancellation of all spring sports.

Guerrero said UCLA athletes had the option to remain on campus, in their off-campus housing or at home when the quarter starts. Students are encouraged to return to campus only if it is the safest place for them to live. Otherwise, Guerrero said, they are strongly encouraged to remain at their permanent residences.

“We recognize that each student-athlete and his or her family will make that determination individually,” Guerrero wrote.

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UCLA is mobilizing technological resources for athletes who need additional support, with the academic and student services staff implementing plans for virtual academic counseling and tutoring. Additionally, the athletic performance staff will offer training kits that allow athletes to continue to work out regardless of whether they have access to equipment. Guerrero said Under Armour, the school’s athletic sponsor, had donated yearlong subscriptions to the MyFitnessPal app for every UCLA athlete.

Meanwhile, UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services remains operational and engaged with students, Guerrero said. The school is working with Headspace to provide every athlete with a year’s subscription to its meditation app. UCLA also asked its coaches and staff to stay in contact with coworkers and athletes via conference calls, video chats or other methods to maintain a human connection in a time of vast isolation.

“Our new normal may be challenging and uncertain,” Guerrero wrote, “but it has once again allowed for the resiliency and adaptability of the Bruin community to shine through.”