Clay Helton discusses the 'new norm' for USC football during these times
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USC football coach Clay Helton doesn't know if, how or when his Trojans might recoup the 14 remaining spring practices that were indefinitely put on hold last week amid precautions against the coronavirus pandemic.
He doesn't know what will become of the NCAA recruiting calendar at large, or even when his players or staff will be allowed back on campus.
So on Friday morning, like the days and weeks (and months?) ahead, Helton focused instead on what he could control.
"This is where I think we have to be great at what we're doing right now and be able to have a little bit of time and instruction via technology," he said in an interview with TrojanSports.com. "And hopefully at some point in time when this is all done we'll get to move back onto football, but the main issue right now is just making sure our players are safe, making sure they're healthy and making sure we keep them in routine."
The good news for the Trojans is that so far no football players or staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus, as of Friday. (It's unclear what testing protocols if any have been initiated by the program, especially with all student-athletes and staff sent home indefinitely).
"Not to my knowledge," Helton confirmed. "We've not had any positive tests as of our staff meeting this morning."
As for football matters, this week was to be USC's spring break anyway -- an off week on the football calendar -- but the players and staff will return to a "new norm," as Helton put it, starting this next week.
That means online classes from home for the students, video meetings between players and positions coaches via the same Zoom technology the rest of the university is utilizing, and full staff meetings three times a week on that platform as well.
"Obviously, as what happened [Thursday] night in the state of California [with Governor Gavin Newsom urging all the state's residents to stay in], we are at home -- all of us -- as all Americans to try to do our due diligence to help with this as this goes on, to do our part, which is to practice social distancing while still trying to get our jobs done," Helton said.
So on Friday morning, USC coaches had a full staff meeting from their respective homes.
Helton went over his notes from the meeting with TrojanSports.com, giving a glimpse into the staff's process during these unprecedented times.
'The new norm'
-It started with Ralph Shick, the senior director of compliance over football, reiterating that this has now become a recruiting dead period, per the NCAA, meaning coaches can communicate with prospects via text or social media direct messaging and recruits can initiate calls, but the coaches can't call recruits -- in addition to all on- and off-campus recruiting being shut down indefinitely. "And then [he talked about] just some of the things that are being discussed as a conference hopefully once this has passed, once we get past the virus, what the summer could look like," Helton said.
-Head trainer Russ Romano then provided updates on how the rehabbing players are progressing through physical therapy, now outsourced to options close to each player's home as they are not permitted to come to campus to use the team facilities.
-The staff discussed the upcoming registration periods for summer and fall classes to make sure the players are set up in that regard, as well as making sure the staff is doing its due diligence with the 2020 signees to ensure they're on track to make it to campus academically. In addition to the players now having to take online classes, the program's tutoring program remains available via Zoom as well. Heather Bell, the director of athletic academic advising, was on the call to assist on those matters.
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