Another major hurdle to play fall sports was cleared on Wednesday, as the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Board of Directors approved the plan its COVID-19 Task Force presented in a virtual meeting.
Now it’ll be up to districts to decide which sports are deemed suitable for competition.
Practices are slated to begin on Sept. 18 for all approved fall sports. Football has been jettisoned to a new “floating” season set for late February. This fourth season, or “Fall II,” which passed unanimously during Wednesday’s meeting, will also house any other fall sports deemed unplayable due to necessary modifications by MIAA member schools.
The big news from Wednesday’s meeting was the creation of the aforementioned four separate seasons. Under this plan, fall season would run Sept. 18 to Nov. 20, while winter is slated for Nov. 30 to Feb. 21. The floating season is set to run from Feb. 22 to April 25, followed by spring season April 26 to July 3. According to Duxbury Athletic Director Thomas Holdgate, who is co-chair of the task force and a member of the board of directors, having the floating season in late winter allows for athletes to avoid conflicts with other sports. The task force also did not want one sport to take precedence over others.
The BOD also voted unanimously that student-athletes may participate in all four seasons, if applicable.
There are still several moving parts before student-athletes can hit fields and courts next month. Individual sport committees will be tasked with creating modifications based on the guidance released earlier this week by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE).
That guidance would significantly alter several fall sports. Soccer and field hockey players would likely be required to wear masks on and off the field, while other restrictions would be necessary in order to “eliminate deliberate contact” and “minimize intermittent contact,” per the EEA guidelines. Volleyball is another sport with an undetermined status, as schools that have decided to implement remote learning would likely not be able to house practices and matches inside their gymnasiums.
More specific guidelines are expected from individual sport committees next week, and individual districts throughout the state will have to decide the viability of each sport. The COVID-19 Task Force will review those guidelines by Aug. 27 and MIAA President Jeff Granatino and Executive Director Bill Gaine will grant final approval by Sept. 1.
While approval from the MIAA is a positive step toward some potential fall action, many schools will first need school committee approval in order to participate. According to the state, sports participation for schools with remote learning would be based on the Department of Public Health’s data map (rate per 100,000). School districts that are designated “red” by the DPH would not be allowed to participate in fall sports, though no Franklin County communities are currently listed under that distinction. Only Holyoke and Granby are currently listed as “red” communities in Western Massachusetts.
Districts that are designated yellow, green or unshaded but are only offering remote learning to its high school students could either delay their fall season slate to the floating season, or offer sports if they receive approval from their respective school committee. Most districts in Franklin County will need school committee approval in order to opt into fall athletics.
Greenfield High School Athletic Director Mike Kuchieski, who is a member of the MIAA’s District 1 Athletic Committee, said Wednesday that the status of athletics at his school will be on the agenda for the Aug. 31 school committee meeting.
“It’s going to be a fluid situation,” Kuchieski offered. “We as a district are going to have to determine what we can handle in regards to the information and guidelines provided by the state. And then as Franklin County ADs, we have to discuss and make sure we’re on board because it’ll be Franklin County schools playing Franklin County schools.”
Turners Falls High School AD Adam Graves said he plans to meet with his principal and superintendent by the end of the week in hopes of presenting a plan to the Gill-Montague Regional School Committee at their meeting on Tuesday.
“As long as our plan falls within the guidelines and with the support of the superintendent, I’m comfortable moving forward,” Graves said. “Hopefully the plan we put together can align with other schools in the area and we’ll be able to collaborate to come up with a schedule for games and sports that we think are safe to plan — whether that’s in Fall I or Fall II (season).”
The MIAA also voted to accept a COVID-19 Task Force measure that will allow out of season coaching from Sept. 18, 2020 through July 3, 2021, as approved by the school’s principal. MIAA-sponsored postseason fall tournaments are eliminated, but regions can hold tournaments as long as they fall within EEA guidelines. The BOD also announced that it will consider recommendations on the winter season of play at an Oct. 29 meeting.