CHESHIRE, Conn. — The fate of high school sports continues to be tossed around as communities across the state see a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Gov. Lamont announced that no sport classified as high risk will be played for the rest of 2020.
Some of the sports classified as high risk by the state include: 11-on-11 football, wrestling, competitive cheer, and dance.
“Before we start fussing and how come this is here, and that’s there, we decided to just rely on the National Federation of High School Sports,” said Gov. Lamont.
However, the governor said sports classified as medium risk like basketball, volleyball, and hockey will still be allowed to play.
“But for those indoor sports, like hockey and basketball, wear a mask,” said Gov. Lamont.
At the same time, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference announced that it is postponing the start of the winter sports season for high school athletes as it reviews updated guidance from the Department of Public Health.
The season was set to start on November 21.
The CIAC writing on Twitter: “The DPH guidance will be reviewed and serve to inform the CIAC winter sports plan including any possible modifications to allow for safe participation.”
FOX61 spoke with North Branford Athletic Director Lori Connelly who said safety is the main priority.
“I’m glad they’re taking they’re time and really going through all the information to make sure everybody is safe,” said Connelly.
However, some parents like Shawna Holzer said all the back-and-forth discussion surrounding the status of sports this year is only hurting student athletes.
“I think that it would be definitely more beneficial for them to make a decision right up front rather that kicking the can down the road. Kids deserve to have a decision made. It decreases their anxiety so they know what to expect,” said Holzer.
“We appreciate the continued consideration DPH is giving to our conversations,” said CAS-CIAC Executive Director Glenn Lungarini in a statement.
The CIAC and its Sports Medicine Committee will review the latest guidance from DPH and then release a winter sports plan following a CIAC Board of Control meeting on Tuesday, November 17.