If you are a high school athlete living in Baltimore County, you have probably been wondering when (or if) you will be allowed to play your sport again. Now, the wait is over. Baltimore County has announced a plan for high school athletes to resume play this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the new plan, athletes will return to campuses for “voluntary conditioning and skill development sessions.” The Maryland State Board of Education announced that practices will resume Dec. 7 with an intent to start playing games on Jan. 4.
Baltimore-area public school teams have not competed since March when COVID-19 was beginning to hit the United States. While some private schools in the area have been playing fall sports, this new plan allows for all high school athletes in the Baltimore area to compete.
“We appreciate the important and unique role that athletics play in connecting students to their schools, promoting physical and mental health, developing students’ collaborative and leadership skills, and more,” Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams said. “We have worked closely with our athletics and health services staff and with the Baltimore County Department of Health in developing this opportunity to bring student-athletes back to school campuses for conditioning and skill development activities.”
While this is great news for Baltimore-area high school athletes, COVID-19 safety measures will still be in place as schools try to have athletic seasons during a global pandemic. Wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, bringing individual water bottles, and monitoring symptoms are some of the primary precautions that athletes must take to keep their season going. An interesting note is that flu shots are not required, but they are highly recommended for all participating athletes.
The detailed schedule for the return of high school sports includes the following:
Winter sports will begin practicing on Dec. 7 and the season will run from Jan. 4 to Feb. 13. Fall sports will begin practicing on Feb. 13 and the season will run from March 5 to April 17. Spring sports will begin practicing on April 17 and the season will run from May 7 to June 19.
It’s certainly great to see Baltimore-area high school athletes back in action, and as long as everyone does their part to keep themselves and others safe, then we will see a return to high-quality competition in no time.
Featured Image courtesy of Sunnybank Community Centre Sports Fields via Flickr Creative Commons
