WESTFIELD – The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s COVID-19 Task Force voted Tuesday to send its recommendations to the MIAA Board of Directors on Wednesday, calling for a 2020-21 high school sports year, according to various reports.
The recommendation calls for soccer, gymnastics, cross country, field hockey, girls volleyball, and golf to be held this fall from Sept. 14 to Nov. 20, followed by traditional winter sports like basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, indoor track and field, alpine skiing, winter cheer, and dance Nov. 30 through Feb. 21, 2021.
The proposal also suggests football be played Feb. 22 through April 25.
The spring calendar, which includes baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, boys volleyball, outdoor track and field, would run from April 26 through July 3.
Member schools would have the ability to adjust the dates with approval from their respective district’s Athletic Committee, allowing some flexibility if certain schools cannot play sports right away or have to postpone a season at some point.
“As an athletic director we want to provide kids to stay active and stay engaged as long as these guidelines are deemed safe for the students and the entire community,” Westfield High School Athletic Coordinator Ryan Dunphy said.
If the MIAA approves recommendations set forth by the organization’s Task Force, each sport’s respective committee will need to determine if that sport can be played with modifications made to the game under the new state COVID-related guidelines formulated for sports activity. Once that has been determined, proposals will be sent to the state’s secretary of education for final approval. Schools will still have the opportunity to opt out.
