There is hope for a spring highschool sports activities season, however definitely no assure, practically 70 state athletic and governmental leaders determined Wednesday throughout a web based assembly.
Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference officers known as cancelation of the spring season “premature” presently, however “any plan for spring sports will need to adhere to the guidelines from the Governor’s office, Department of Education and health experts regarding the potential reopening of schools to establish a specific time frame.”
“We want to preserve as much as we can any possibility for our spring sports athletes to play,” CAS-CIAC Executive Director Glenn Lungarini stated throughout a teleconference with the media. “We do so with an understanding that information can change on a daily basis. … We’d like to encourage our kids to adhere to the guidelines of social distancing. By taking part in preventative measures, we will get back to our schools and our fields of play as soon as possible.”
Lungarini stated there was “no sentiment” among the many on-line assembly representatives to cancel the season and that “everyone is hopeful.”
“There is a genuine hope that kids can get something out of their season,” Ledyard assistant principal/athletic director Jim Buonocore stated. “There wasn’t reason to cancel at this point. There is so much more out there we just don’t know. I think the best-case scenario would be a late April start of practice and an early May start to competition if we do go back to school at some point.”
Buonocore stated the Eastern Connecticut Conference hasn’t but explored a modified schedule in all spring sports activities however would have such discussions if circumstances warranted.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has closed colleges via not less than March 31, that means it’s doubtless any spring season could be modified. Lungarini stated CIAC and college officers on all ranges are prepared to get inventive.
“Anything would be a consideration,” Lungarini stated. “We would need to consider going beyond graduation and beyond the month of June. In the past, we haven’t done it, but we would not rule anything out at this point. We would be open to all consideration as to what a regular season would look like and what kind of state tournament experience we could have.”
Lungarini stated the CIAC could be aware of different sports activities happening past June, resembling AAU basketball and baseball and American Legion baseball.
Lungarini emphasised the fluidity of the scenario, saying the following assembly of state and authorities officers would occur “probably in a week or so,” as data is extra accessible.
“We will exhaust every possibility that we may have,” Lungarini stated. “If our schools don’t return, that would be a threshold where we wouldn’t be able to play. We hope students are hopeful. The primary message we want to give here is we are not canceling. We want them to be hopeful there’s a spring experience and that we are working on our end to deliver that in any way possible. The best thing our students can do is to exercise the precautions around social distancing.”
