University of Georgia Athletics
Vaccination 'One Great Step' For UGAAA Coaches, Staff
April 01, 2021 | Football, General, Women's Basketball, Swimming & Diving, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Working with the Georgia Department of Public Health to promote the increased availability of the COVID-19 vaccines in the state and encourage those that wish to receive it to make an appointment, dozens of UGA Athletic Association coaches and staff members received their first dose on Saturday.
Last week, the Department of Public Health (DPH) and Governor Brian Kemp announced that the state had expanded its vaccine eligibility to include all Georgians age 16 and older. "Vaccination, along with strict compliance with basic prevention measures — wear a mask, stay six feet from others, avoid large gatherings, wash your hands frequently — will help Georgia stop the spread of COVID-19," the DPH wrote in a news release.
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center staff on Saturday administered the vaccine to 42 UGA athletics coaches and staff members.
"We are so appreciative of the Georgia Department of Public Health and our good friends at the Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center for all their hard work to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to the eligible community," said J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks. "As we prepare for fall after a difficult year, we are hoping that this is one great step in the process of returning to normal operations and being able to celebrate Georgia athletics with all of our fans."
The UGA Athletic Association is not mandating that student-athletes, coaches and staff receive the vaccine but it is making the vaccine available, now and in the future, to anyone that wants to get it. The UGAAA also is working with the DPH and Piedmont Healthcare using social media platforms to promote COVID vaccination.
"We don't want to mandate the vaccine, but what we do want to do is make it available to anyone who wants it while also making sure that we're giving them the proper information to make the right vaccine decision," said Ron Courson, Georgia's Executive Associate Athletic Director and a national leader in the field of sports medicine.
Among those that have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, either at Saturday's session or before, are J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks, head football coach Kirby Smart, men's basketball coach Tom Crean, women's basketball coach Joni Taylor, track and field head coach Petros Kyprianou and Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving head coach Jack Bauerle. More staff and coaches will be vaccinated soon, Courson said, and plans are in the works to make it available to all student-athletes that want it.
Because of the side effects, which have proven to be mostly mild — a sore arm from the shot, fever, fatigue, headaches, chills — and not unlike those of a typical flu shot, scheduling vaccine shots for teams currently competing can be challenging, Courson said.
"One of the things we're trying to do, particularly in an athletic setting, is be aware of the side effects," he said. "We're trying to time it to when they have a day off and do it the day before. The side effects are relatively light and they're not that common, but if you have them it's typically in the first 24-48 hours."
On March 1, Courson, Georgia's representative on the SEC's Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, led a virtual town hall webinar for UGAAA staff, coaches, student-athletes and their families that featured four physicians with COVID-19 expertise. In a video played during the webinar, Smart talked about why he would be receiving the vaccine.
"I'll be receiving my vaccine because the most important people in my life in terms of shaping my life are my mother and father. I believe vaccination's important, they both received theirs, and I'll be receiving mine so that they can continue to enjoy their grandkids," Smart said.
Senior offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer was also featured in the video: "The vaccine's important to me for a number of reasons, the main thing being it's a step toward getting a normal world back. There are a lot of people that have been stuck in the house since last February, last March ... so it's important to me that people get to live their lives. ... It just gives people the freedom to get out of the house and to be able to see the world, because that's why we live life, to be able to experience things and to live, laugh and love."
On Monday, according to numerous reports, Major League Baseball issued a memo to teams outlining more relaxed protocols to vaccinated players, coaches and staff. MLB teams once they reach an 85% vaccination rate will be allowed to relax masking protocols, dine together, bring their families on road trips and more.
For Georgia's student-athletes, coaches and staff, getting vaccinated — you're considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your final shot — has more benefits than just protecting yourself and those around you. It also will mean a break from frequent testing and contact tracing.
"I just like the peace of mind of it," said Bauerle, who has already had his two shots. Earlier this month, Georgia's women finished eighth at their NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships and the men finished fourth at theirs a week later. Those high finishes wouldn't have been possible without all of their competitors that qualified available to compete, Bauerle said. "There was not a coach on our staff that didn't hold their breath every time we did testing."
Just before the start of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, VCU's team was pulled from the field because of COVID issues.
"If you think about it, over the course of the past year, we've had some student-athletes do hundreds of tests, so we'd remove the testing cadence. We'll also remove contact tracing," Courson said of an incentive to getting teams vaccinated. "We're in spring sports and we're getting toward the championships, and there's nothing more heartbreaking than being contact traced because of being exposed to somebody and then losing the chance to compete.
"We've also got a significant number of student-athletes that have the Olympics coming up. They're training for Olympic trials and competitions there, and if you have a contact trace it really wreaks havoc on your training."
Taylor, whose Lady Bulldogs were a No. 3 seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, got her shot the day the team was heading down to San Antonio, Texas, where the whole tournament has been held.
"I knew I would be quarantining in San Antonio for the first 48 hours in isolation so I knew that if I had any symptoms that I could deal with them in the room by myself before I got back with the team. I definitely feel like for us it was the best decision," Taylor said. "People have to do their research and ask questions. Don't rely on anyone else to give them information — that's what I've told our young ladies. And then do what's best for them, in terms of getting a shot or not getting a shot."
As of Thursday afternoon, nearly 3,900,000 vaccinations have been administered in Georgia, according to the DPH's COVID-19 vaccine status dashboard on its website. Information on the vaccines and how to get signed up is available here: https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.
Â
Staff Writer
Working with the Georgia Department of Public Health to promote the increased availability of the COVID-19 vaccines in the state and encourage those that wish to receive it to make an appointment, dozens of UGA Athletic Association coaches and staff members received their first dose on Saturday.
Last week, the Department of Public Health (DPH) and Governor Brian Kemp announced that the state had expanded its vaccine eligibility to include all Georgians age 16 and older. "Vaccination, along with strict compliance with basic prevention measures — wear a mask, stay six feet from others, avoid large gatherings, wash your hands frequently — will help Georgia stop the spread of COVID-19," the DPH wrote in a news release.
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center staff on Saturday administered the vaccine to 42 UGA athletics coaches and staff members.
"We are so appreciative of the Georgia Department of Public Health and our good friends at the Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center for all their hard work to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to the eligible community," said J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks. "As we prepare for fall after a difficult year, we are hoping that this is one great step in the process of returning to normal operations and being able to celebrate Georgia athletics with all of our fans."
The UGA Athletic Association is not mandating that student-athletes, coaches and staff receive the vaccine but it is making the vaccine available, now and in the future, to anyone that wants to get it. The UGAAA also is working with the DPH and Piedmont Healthcare using social media platforms to promote COVID vaccination.
"We don't want to mandate the vaccine, but what we do want to do is make it available to anyone who wants it while also making sure that we're giving them the proper information to make the right vaccine decision," said Ron Courson, Georgia's Executive Associate Athletic Director and a national leader in the field of sports medicine.
Among those that have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, either at Saturday's session or before, are J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks, head football coach Kirby Smart, men's basketball coach Tom Crean, women's basketball coach Joni Taylor, track and field head coach Petros Kyprianou and Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving head coach Jack Bauerle. More staff and coaches will be vaccinated soon, Courson said, and plans are in the works to make it available to all student-athletes that want it.
Because of the side effects, which have proven to be mostly mild — a sore arm from the shot, fever, fatigue, headaches, chills — and not unlike those of a typical flu shot, scheduling vaccine shots for teams currently competing can be challenging, Courson said.
"One of the things we're trying to do, particularly in an athletic setting, is be aware of the side effects," he said. "We're trying to time it to when they have a day off and do it the day before. The side effects are relatively light and they're not that common, but if you have them it's typically in the first 24-48 hours."
On March 1, Courson, Georgia's representative on the SEC's Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, led a virtual town hall webinar for UGAAA staff, coaches, student-athletes and their families that featured four physicians with COVID-19 expertise. In a video played during the webinar, Smart talked about why he would be receiving the vaccine.
"I'll be receiving my vaccine because the most important people in my life in terms of shaping my life are my mother and father. I believe vaccination's important, they both received theirs, and I'll be receiving mine so that they can continue to enjoy their grandkids," Smart said.
Senior offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer was also featured in the video: "The vaccine's important to me for a number of reasons, the main thing being it's a step toward getting a normal world back. There are a lot of people that have been stuck in the house since last February, last March ... so it's important to me that people get to live their lives. ... It just gives people the freedom to get out of the house and to be able to see the world, because that's why we live life, to be able to experience things and to live, laugh and love."
On Monday, according to numerous reports, Major League Baseball issued a memo to teams outlining more relaxed protocols to vaccinated players, coaches and staff. MLB teams once they reach an 85% vaccination rate will be allowed to relax masking protocols, dine together, bring their families on road trips and more.
For Georgia's student-athletes, coaches and staff, getting vaccinated — you're considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your final shot — has more benefits than just protecting yourself and those around you. It also will mean a break from frequent testing and contact tracing.
"I just like the peace of mind of it," said Bauerle, who has already had his two shots. Earlier this month, Georgia's women finished eighth at their NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships and the men finished fourth at theirs a week later. Those high finishes wouldn't have been possible without all of their competitors that qualified available to compete, Bauerle said. "There was not a coach on our staff that didn't hold their breath every time we did testing."
Just before the start of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, VCU's team was pulled from the field because of COVID issues.
"If you think about it, over the course of the past year, we've had some student-athletes do hundreds of tests, so we'd remove the testing cadence. We'll also remove contact tracing," Courson said of an incentive to getting teams vaccinated. "We're in spring sports and we're getting toward the championships, and there's nothing more heartbreaking than being contact traced because of being exposed to somebody and then losing the chance to compete.
"We've also got a significant number of student-athletes that have the Olympics coming up. They're training for Olympic trials and competitions there, and if you have a contact trace it really wreaks havoc on your training."
Taylor, whose Lady Bulldogs were a No. 3 seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, got her shot the day the team was heading down to San Antonio, Texas, where the whole tournament has been held.
"I knew I would be quarantining in San Antonio for the first 48 hours in isolation so I knew that if I had any symptoms that I could deal with them in the room by myself before I got back with the team. I definitely feel like for us it was the best decision," Taylor said. "People have to do their research and ask questions. Don't rely on anyone else to give them information — that's what I've told our young ladies. And then do what's best for them, in terms of getting a shot or not getting a shot."
As of Thursday afternoon, nearly 3,900,000 vaccinations have been administered in Georgia, according to the DPH's COVID-19 vaccine status dashboard on its website. Information on the vaccines and how to get signed up is available here: https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.
Â
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
OL
/ FootballGeorgia Football - Tuesday Press Conference - Jordan Hall
Tuesday, October 28
Georgia Football - Tuesday Press Conference - Chauncey Bowens
Tuesday, October 28
Georgia Football - Coach Kirby Smart Pre-Florida Press Conference
Monday, October 27
Georgia Football - Drew Bobo Pre-Florida Press Conference
Monday, October 27