Many close-contact sports have been cancelled or postponed, such as wrestling ad cheerleading. However, girls and boys basketball, ski, hockey, gymnastics, and the swim team have been officially confirmed by the MIAA. Sophie Hirtle of the swim team, Amari Andrew-Brown of the boys basketball team, and Will Gianni of the ski team have echoed the information from their meetings.
Asked about any new covid restrictions, Hirtle replied that there are only permitted to be “fifteen people in the pool at a time and the rest will be doing dry land [training].” In past years, there have been forty to fifty members of the swim team, so the rule of fifteen people in the pool at a time will presumably be difficult to enforce, especially because the swimmers are not practicing at their normal venue. Amari responded that “there are only four people allowed when players are shooting free throws.” On the ski team, “practice will be limited to 24… athletes. When you ride the chairlift you can either ride alone but you can also ride with people from your team.” The ski team is also being split into two cohorts, which is how that team will achieve having limited athletes.
Hirtle added that swimmers will be “switching off every thirty minutes to an hour” with half of the members participating in dry land conditioning. All of the workouts will be done with masks. Masks will be mandated “anytime we’re not in the pool. We’ll just carry them and then put them on,” even to walk across the deck. Andrew-Brown states that “We have to wear masks while we play,” although that will certainly make it hard to breathe, and Gianni conveyed that “Masks are required at all times when you are on the chairlift, bus, lift line and waiting to race. The only time you do not have to wear a mask is when you are skiing and no one is around you.”
Hirtle was asked about bus rules. In past years, swimmers have not been allowed to drive themselves to the practice venues or meets. This year, however, “…anybody that can drive themselves will drive…to the pool, but we’re not allowed to carpool. Whoever can’t [drive] will just have to space out on the bus.” On the way to basketball games, “We have to change on the bus and we can’t get to the game early because there will be too many people in the gym.” The ski team has many of the same bus rules as the swim team: “There will only be allowed 16 kids on the bus at one time. Parents can drive their kids to the race but can not get a ride from any of the people on the team,” said Gianni. The ski team is also forced to change on the bus.
There are no tournaments for any team. That was confirmed by the MIAA since there would be far too much exposure between different schools at one time. Andrew-Brown expressed his dismay because “I am supposed to score 1000 points this year and now it is going to be extra hard for me,” but he is still determined to meet that goal despite the obstacles. Gianni also expressed negative feelings about the tournament. He was “in good shape to make the tournament this year after missing it by only a few points last year.” However, there is a bright side for the ski team. As of now there is no tournament, but “There are talks of some sort of championship for the league which I am looking forward to for me and my team.”
Altogether, the precautionary measures are put in place to keep all athletes, coaches, and families safe. When safety is definitive, many sports will be able to return in full force.
The Daily Olivian
The student news site of Oliver Ames High School in Easton, Massachusetts