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Date: 12/16/2020
EASTHAMPTON – Easthampton High School winter athletics will look much different than in years past.
On Dec. 8, the Easthampton School Committee met to discuss winter sports and reopening plans and took three different votes in regards to the three winter sports, swimming, basketball, and hockey. The end result was approval of “virtual” swimming competitions while the other two sports were approved only for practice.
Winter sports are scheduled to start on Jan. 4, 2021, but athletes must provide a negative coronavirus test result taken after Jan. 1, 2021. Superintendent Allison LeClair noted that in normal circumstances, hockey and swimming are co-op teams but this year the teams will only be limited to Easthampton students.
Athletic Director Brian Miller explained that in a virtual swimming format, there will be no head-to-head competition this season; instead, swim teams will swim in separate pools and their time will be recorded and then compared to the other team.
He added that teams will have 24 hours to respond.
Miller shared that the swim team normally uses the pool at Williston Northampton but because they closed their facilities to the public, Miller is working with Westfield State University to use their pool. If the university does not permit him to use their pool, he will continue his search.
Concerns of foot traffic inside the pool area at Westfield State University came up and Miller said they would be renting the facility so no one else could use the pool area.
“It is going to be a matter of coming in, walking directly to the pool. There would only be our two coaches, our dive coach, and our swim coach as well as the athletes. On a day of a meet, there would be two additional officials in the pool area,” Miller said.
He also informed the committee on the mask protocols. All of the athletes would need to be masked at all times unless they are in the water. When the swimmer goes to the starting block, they will take their mask off, put it into a Ziploc bag and someone will carry it to the opposite side of the pool so the athlete can exit the pool and put it on right away.
Girls and boys basketball and hockey teams were only approved to participate in skill sessions three days a week in the school’s gym. Between each practice, the gym will be disinfected. All EEA and MIAA guidelines must be followed including the 6-feet social distancing guideline.
Until students are in a hybrid learning model, the basketball and hockey players are required to be tested weekly to participate in the workouts.
After the meeting, Miller provided Reminder Publishing with additional clarification on the weekly testing requirement. “If they receive a positive test, then they would be required to quarantine for the amount of time mandated by the board of health before they would be allowed to return.”
Miller added that he is planning to speak with their district nurse to determine if the other athletes would be considered close contact and need to quarantine as well.
“I had not anticipated this being a requirement so I am in the process of gathering more information myself,” he said.
Also at the meeting, LeClair revisited the committee’s decision to move back into the remote learning model. At the time of this decision, LeClair said Easthampton had 21 cases per 100,000 and now they have 32 per 100,000. Due to the cases continuing to rise, students will remain in the remote learning model through the new year.
The committee will re-evaluate this decision at their Jan. 12, 2021 meeting.