The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Wednesday put forth recommendations for an updated 2020-21 athletic calendar that allows swimming to proceed in the fall.
The MIAA’s COVID-19 Task Force unanimously approved recommendations that called for no scholastic football in the fall. But in assessing the risk for sports, it allowed high school swimming to go through in the fall as planned. Low- and moderate-risk sports can go ahead, however. That includes cross country, tennis, swimming, field hockey, volleyball, golf and soccer. Football, cheerleading and unified basketball cannot hold competitions. The fall season would run from Sept. 18-Nov. 20.
All recommendations from the task force were approved the MIAA’s board of directors.
The task force is pushing to adopt formalized, sports-specific modifications to competing during the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes intra-league schedules and/or limiting travel and opponents. It also recommended eliminated MIAA postseason tournaments in the fall.
The recommendations include a “floating” fourth season from February to April to accommodate “sports not played in fall season because of remote learning model/other.”
Risk assessment is also based on prevalence of COVID-19 in districts, with a prevalence exceeding eight cases per 100,000 residents enough to postpone the fall season altogether.
“On behalf of the MIAA Board of Directors, the Association can be proud of the outstanding contributions of its COVID-19 Task Force which came to fruition today with Board ratification,” MIAA executive director Bill Gaine said in a press release. “Today’s actions demonstrate the magnanimous service by our volunteer Principals, Athletic Directors, School Committee and Superintendents to provide Educational Athletic opportunities for MIAA student-athletes.”