CLEVELAND — Dr. James Voos wears many hats. He is the Chair of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at University Hospitals. Dr. Voos is also the Lead Team Physician for the Cleveland Browns.
And as youth and adult athletes across state of Ohio looks to get back on the playing field amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Voos' expertise is now being called on to keep players and coaches safe.
Dr. Voos is taking part of Ohio’s Advisory Group for Adult and Youth Sports Leagues. He is one of only two Ohio physicians, joined by Assistant Medical Director of the Ohio Department of Health Dr. Mary Kate Francis, invited to join the team that is made up also of municipal, national and community youth sports leaders.
To ensure that non-contact and limited-contact sports leagues operate in the safest manner possible, the advisory group is creating a detailed list of guidelines and best practices for sports leagues to follow. A full list of mandatory and recommended best practices is available at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
"I do think it is reasonable for us to get back outside playing outdoor non-contact sports with with safe guidelines in place," Dr. Voos told 3News' Jim Donovan. "I think it's a very reasonable thing to do.'
The guidelines will address safety protocol to summer sports including baseball, softball, golf, tennis, paddle sports as well as Frisbee, corn hole and bocce.
The state is still working on rules and guidelines for higher-contact sports like lacrosse, hockey, field hockey, soccer, basketball, volleyball and gymnastics.
"It (contact sports) adds another layer in terms of protecting the athletes with regards to distancing, sweating on each other, and things of that nature," Dr. Voss explained. "That's why we do this in a careful and responsible fashion, that way we can measure these non-contact sports and if things are going well and numbers diminish appropriately, adding those contact sports would be the next reasonable step."
You can watch Dr. Voss' entire interview with Jimmy in the player above.