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AD Update - September 10, 2020
Members of the Grafton Athletics Community:
I hope this message finds you all healthy, safe, rested and ready for the start of the 2020-21 academic year. Without question we have all faced unprecedented challenges as we try figure out the new normal.
The date for when athletics was set to begin was Friday, September 18 and was established by the MIAA to allow for students, staff and faculty to acclimate to the start of the school year. With our start date for school being Wednesday, September 16 that was not possible. For instance, if you are in cohort B, you would begin practicing with your teammates before ever stepping foot inside the building and the last thing any of us would want is for athletics to be an impediment to the learning process.
With that being said, it is with an abundance of caution that the principals and athletic directors of the Southern Worcester County League (SWCL) with the approval of the District Athletic Committee (DAC), voted to push the start of the 2020 Fall I season to Monday, October 5.
Tryouts and practices can begin on that day and the first date of allowable competition will be on Monday, October 19 with the season culminating the week of November 20.
The delayed start will allow for the entire school population to get acclimated to the new way of learning. Several districts in the league are 100% remote learning, while others, like Grafton, are using the hybrid model.
As a group, the SWCL Presidents released the following statement:
"We make this decision with the best interests of our respective schools and communities in mind and with the hope of being able to have as normal a regular season as possible, particularly when we consider the multiple variables presented to us in this pandemic. Our primary responsibility remains the mental and physical well-being of all our students, including our student-athletes. With the number of responsibilities we have to ensure a safe opening to school, balancing against the wants and needs of our communities and the desire to participate in a fall season, the decision to start the season at all was challenging. Providing an additional week or two of planning allows us to prioritize the difficult task of having students and staff safely back in our buildings before we add the variables that come with interscholastic athletics, including safely planning, transportation, mixing of student cohorts and finalizing athletic schedules."
"While we know that there are some individuals who will be disappointed with the decision, we remain inspired by the resilience of our athletes, hopeful for the opportunity to have a fall season, and committed to ensuring that our staff and students, including all of our coaches and student-athletes, have a safe return to the 2020-21 school year amidst variables none of us could have ever predicted or imagined. In these unusual and uncertain circumstances, we appreciate everyone's patience, flexibility and understanding and we look forward to being able to cheer on our student-athletes in a couple of short weeks."
With the MIAA eliminating postseason tournaments for the fall, members of District 2 and District 3 – which covers all of Central Massachusetts – have developed a pod system for opponents based on geographical locations and schedules are being developed and that framework has begun to take place and will be released in the coming weeks.
Although the sports of cross country, field hockey, golf and soccer are cleared to participate, these sports will look drastically different (rule modifications, programmatic philosophy) from what they have in the past. Everyone must understand that this will not be a season like any other so please begin to adjust mindsets accordingly. Our goal is to provide a wellness-filled, safe athletic environment for our student-athletes.
What you can expect is an 8-10 game schedule (cross country will be less) and limited spectators at all Grafton athletic facilities.
There may be opportunities for sports that have been moved to Fall II (fall cheer, football, girls volleyball, unified basketball) to participate in some organized team activities but that will be announced at a later date.
As we get closer to the start of the season, I will be conducting virtual meetings with each program (myself, coaches, student-athletes and families) to review topics related to what the specific team’s season will look like.
As I’ve stated in my previous communications to you all, the health and safety of our students will always sit at the top of my priority list. I will continue to update you as more information becomes available.
Best,
Kevin Anderson
Director of Athletics
Kevin Anderson, Director of Athletics
Email: andersonke@grafton.k12.ma.us
Website: www.graftonps.org/domain/599
Location: 24 Providence Road, North Grafton, MA, USA
Phone: (508) 839-2808
Twitter: @GraftonAD