MIAA releases guidelines for youth sports for upcoming school year

BOSTON (WHDH) – The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association released a set of guidelines for youth and amateur sports for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year

The guidelines were compiled in conjunction with a report that was issued by the Energy and Environmental Affairs and state that sports deemed to be a lower or moderate risk of COVID-19 transmission may continue as planned with modifications, according to a release issued by the association.

Golf, cross country running, field hockey, soccer, gymnastics, girls volleyball, swimming and diving will be allowed to get underway with restrictions on Sept. 18.

To be able to engage in competitive play, deliberate contact must be eliminated, intermittent contact must be modified, and teams must adhere to the sport specific plan that will be developed by the MIAA and their medical advisors.

Sports that are deemed to be a high risk, such as football, cheer, and unified basketball, will be confined to practice only for the time being.

In later seasons, the higher risk sports, such as hockey, basketball, and wrestling, will be reevaluated closer to the start based on health metrics and guidance from the EEA.

Those deemed to be too dangerous will be pushed back or considered for a floating season which would run from Feb. 22 to April 25.

For now, winter sports including boys and girls basket ball, gymnastics, wrestling and hockey will get underway on November 30.

Spring Sports including baseball, softball, lacrosse and tennis will start on April 26 and run until July 3.

School districts that have adopted a remote learning style due to the high level of coronavirus cases reported in their town or city must postpone their seasons entirely, according to the release.

Those districts offering remote learning without the heightened COVID risk must get the approval of the local school committee.

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