Franklin Matters: MIAA Statement on Winter Sports and Sport-Specific Modifications

Sunday, November 22, 2020

MIAA Statement on Winter Sports and Sport-Specific Modifications

November 20, 2020

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) COVID-19 Task Force representatives today presented winter sport modifications and recommendations for the 2020-2021 season to the MIAA Board of Directors.

This presentation culminated a two-week MIAA governance process which included sport-specific sub-committee meetings where updated Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and current Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary (DESE) guidelines were reviewed. These subcommittees created sport- specific modifications and presented them to the full committees for approval. The MIAA Sports Medicine Committee (SMC) and ultimately the MIAA Covid-19 Task force subsequently approved the modifications.

MIAA Executive Director Bill Gaine stated, “The MIAA’s mission can be defined by a dual prescription: promoting maximum participation opportunities for the maximum number of student-athletes so that life lessons can be learned. At the same time, promoting
the health and safety of all participants is the Association’s imperative.”

The MIAA Board of Directors voted to approve sport-specific modifications for the Winter Season. These modifications will continue to be reviewed as they relate to current regulations surrounding COVID-19 and may be modified if necessary.

Additional modifications or the decision to participate in MIAA-recognized winter sports will be determined by local school districts and/or their local Board of Health. You may view the Task Force presentation HERE.

Highlights include:

The Winter Season will have a new start date of December 14, 2020.
Modifications for the sports of Wrestling, Indoor Track, winter Cheerleading and Dance were not created or presented due to committee recommendation for those sports to be moved to a different sport season. Indoor Track is moved to the Fall II Season and Wresting, winter Cheerleading and Dance are moved to the Spring Season.

MIAA President and Marshfield Superintendent Jeff Granatino said, “It is great to see that so many of our student-athletes will be able to take part in the sports they love this winter. Many coaches, athletic directors, principals and superintendents worked hard
over the past few weeks to ensure that we would be able to offer interscholastic athletes for our students, and I want to thank them for their efforts.”

Granatino added, “The pandemic has reshaped the way education is delivered across the country and the same can be said about its impact on athletics. Nonetheless, I am confident our student-athletes and coaches will adjust to the new expectations this winter and have an experience as fulfilling and as exciting as what we saw during the fall season. Gaine reinforced, “Our membership should be proud that our Board’s actions today reflect allegiance to the MIAA mission.”

The approved Winter Season sport modifications are located on the MIAA COVID-19 Task Force Page. The Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document located on the Task Force page is currently being updated to better reflect and provide clarity with recent decisions. This will be posted as soon as possible.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey Granatino Bill Gaine
MIAA President Executive Director