This fall, high school athletes across the country have been hoping to continue with their seasons, while staying safe and cautious during this time of great variability.  

All athletes regardless of there sport were hanging on thread this summer, in hopes that there seasons would continue this year. For soccer,cross country,swimming,volleyball and field hockey athletes were abel to have meets/games. Not all sports were so lucky though. 

While in some sports restrictions are easier to follow, it was hard to find a safe way to social distance in football. After the CIAC went through a lot of planning and researching they decided it would be most safe to not have football this year. After lots of pondering and thinking, the decision was official. The CIAC’s executive director Glenn Lungarini was one of the people who had to make this tough decision. In a interview regarding fall sports Lungarini said , “In the CIAC’s original fall sports plan released on July 31, football was scheduled to play six regular season games, with two potential playoff games. But after the state Department of Public Health deemed football unsafe to play without modifications, the CIAC canceled full-contact games on Sept. 4.”

Whilst, football required a lot of decision making and working out, some sports such as cross country and swimming already have athletes distanced in normal meets. Due to the virus, seasons were shortened and the first official practice did not occur until late september. Sofia King, a high school athlete from cross country feels the season was generally the same, aside from the cancelled invitationals. King states, “ Overall, there are a lot of things that stayed the same from last year. However, I definitely feel that the season went especially fast this year, with the shortened season and lack of invitational meets.”

To add onto what King says, Maella Hassoubi, feels that the season has been different yet cross country was not greatly affected considering it is not a contact sport, “Our season has not been affected that much because we are not a contact sport. This season has definitely been different because obviously we have to wear masks when we’re warming up and cooling down.”

Unfortunately, games for all sports did not start until october 1st many athletes are grateful to be abel to still have a season. While winter sports, still have yet to be considered fall athletes from low contact-no contact sports are happy to be able to play.

Fall sports have only occurred due to lots of preparation and restrictions formed by the CIAC,state department of public health and governor. In all activities the science in Covid always is the first priority in keeping athletes and there families safe in this unprecedented time.