Maine High School Sports Will Be Delayed This Fall

The Maine Principals Association delayed Tuesday the start of the high school fall sports season until September 8, hoping to play all of their sports in a shorter season during the pandemic.

“We look forward to offering a full fall season,” said MPA Executive Director Mike Burnham. “If the time comes and we cannot do it, we will address it at that time. We are all working in the hope of being able to do that. ”

It would be a modified season. The fall season was originally scheduled to begin on August 17, but practices will now begin on Tuesday, September 8. The preseason will last only two weeks, instead of three, and the first accounting games will begin no earlier than Friday, September 18. Burnham said the AMP plans to make the playoffs, but they will also change.

It remains to be seen exactly how many schools will be able to participate in athletics. The Maine Department of Education recently released back-to-school guidelines that included color codes (yellow, green, red) for each county, with a red designation that means there is a high risk of COVID-19 transmission and that schools should operate remotely. Burnham said last week that a red designation could mean that there are no sports in any of those counties. The DOE plans to release its first color-coded map on July 31.

The MPA Fall Sports Committees will meet to determine the maximum number of countable games in the shortened season. Fall sports committees are also tasked with developing rule modifications for their individual sports along with safety recommendations from the National Federation of State High School Associations. They will also determine the postseason competition.

“Each individual (fall) sports committee is working with our Sports Medicine Committee to develop guidelines or rule changes, such as facial masking,” said Burnham. “They are looking at the things we can safely do to deliver the sport, as well as in the future, as to what the playoffs will be like.”

The MPA canceled the spring sports season last April and is limiting interscholastic activities during the summer. It is encouraging that schools develop regional schedules whenever possible this fall.

Brant Remington, the athletic director for Maranacook Community High School in Readfield, said he favors a regional schedule, but acknowledged that creates challenges.

“If we make regional schedules, it will have some small schools that many bigger schools will have to play,” Remington said. “That won’t be a problem in some sports, but it could be in others.”

Thornton Academy Athletic Director Gary Stevens said it’s a smart move to delay the start of the fall season. He noted that Massachusetts also delayed the start of its fall season on Tuesday, until September 14, and New York had previously delayed the start until September 21, while also canceling the fall championships.

“It certainly is consistent with what other states are doing to delay a return to athletics,” said Stevens. “And the other thing it does is it allows all Maine schools to go back to the classroom, to whatever degree we go back to the classroom, before we have to worry about going back to athletics.

“It also gives us a little extra time to see how the virus is taking its course across the country and also here in Maine. I think we will know more for Labor Day than today. It will allow us to collect data and make good decisions as we go. ”

Burnham said the delay gives the MPA more time to decide whether to proceed with a fall season, but more importantly, “it gives schools time” for their students to return to their classrooms safely.

According to the MPA press release, schools in Aroostook County “may adjust opening day based on harvest break, but pre-season training should not begin before August 17 … This measure will allow districts work on their Back to School Plan without worrying about starting fall sports. “

The MPA is also giving up its rule that requires a team to complete its season for the 2020-21 school year. Under the rule, schools that do not compete in their season are no longer eligible to play on the varsity team for two seasons. The statement also states that “knowing that some schools may be affected by the Covid-19 virus, schools will be able to adjust their schedules during the season.”

Currently, schools are restricted from conducting full team training based on the MPA Staged Summer Guidelines. Details of Phases III (to run from August 3 to 23) and Phase IV (from August 24 to September 7) are still in development. Phase IV will focus on conditioning for fall athletes.

Central Maine Newspapers sports editor Bill Stewart contributed to this report.

This story will be updated.

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