CIAC Lays Out Guidelines For Winter High School Sports

CHESHIRE, CT — The governing body for interscholastic sports in Connecticut Friday announced a preliminary blueprint for what appears to be a full slate of winter contests.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference brass met with athletic directors across the state Friday to discuss fall season tournaments and to preview the CIAC Winter Sports Plan. The finalized winter plan is expected to be released next week, officials said.

The CIAC is collaborating closely with its medical consultants and the Connecticut Department of Public Health to "ensure its guidance aligns with the latest COVID data and with the judgment of pandemic experts," officials said.

Highlights of the preliminary CIAC Winter Sports Plan include:

• Vaccinated athletes will not be required to wear masks while competing in any winter sport. Unvaccinated athletes will need to wear a mask while competing except in sports where masks can pose a safety risk. Masks will be required at all other times, regardless of vaccination status.
• When a mask may create a safety hazard while competing, student-athletes will not be required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status during active competition. Masks will be required at all other times, regardless of vaccination status.
• Multi-team events in indoor track, wrestling, gymnastics, etc. will be permitted. Event organizers should consider strategies to reduce the amount of idle student-athletes at multi-team events.
• Interstate competition will be permitted.

"The CIAC wants to remind players, coaches, officials, parents and fans that vaccinations are the best mitigation strategy in preventing COVID-19 and the flu from negatively impacting interscholastic athletics," officials said.