Long-Awaited Winter Sports Season Gets Underway At CT Schools

CONNECTICUT — After 10 months of anticipation, mixed signals, policy alterations, equipment adjustments, venue shifts and starting date changes, winter sports teams finally began practice Tuesday, albeit under circumstances radically different than they had ever experienced before.

The coronavirus pandemic hit many winter athletes hard last March, when the outbreak prompted officials of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) to abruptly stop the winter season in the middle of or just prior to the start of state tournament play. Girls basketball competition was halted with teams set for semifinal or quarterfinal action, boys ice hockey was shut down just prior to the quarterfinals, and boys basketball had completed first-round play.

Winter practice normally begins in late November or early December, but CIAC officials, acting on guidance from the state Department of Public Health, postponed the opening of the season twice, eventually settling on a Jan. 19 start date, with games beginning no sooner than Feb. 8.

Teams will play an abbreviated 12-game schedule, with no state tournament competition slated. Postseason league tournaments will be permitted, however.

Low to moderate risk sports allowed to begin practice are girls gymnastics, ice hockey, basketball and boys swimming. Among the changes made to facilitate safety are mandatory masks during practice and games (except gymnastics and swimming) and mask breaks during practices and games. Fan attendance will be at the discretion of each school district, and will likely be limited at many venues, and prohibited at others.

Despite all the setbacks, players and coaches were thrilled to get back onto their respective playing surfaces Tuesday.

"We're thankful and extremely happy," Suffield/Granby/Windsor Locks hockey coach Jake King said in an interview with Patch just prior to the Wildcats' initial practice at the Enfield Twin Rinks. "It was a tough couple of months, and changing a lot of minds was tough. Everyone I saw in the parking lot is super excited to get going. We have 12 or 13 seniors, so we're thankful we've got something. If we have to wear masks, if we have to limit our fans, if we have to limit the amount of kids we have, if we have to run practice differently - we're going to do whatever we need to do to get games in for these kids."

Killingly gymnastics coach Kasey Tocchio said, "The girls are excited to be able to experience this sport together again in the high school season. Things of course look very different, but the girls have adjusted to the protocols very well, and we are lucky to have a sport where we are able to maintain distance and continue to progress at the same time. The girls and I are thankful to be in the gym and looking forward to just enjoying the time together."

"No question [Tuesday] was different, but I’m really appreciative of the opportunity to get back on the floor with my team," Canton girls basketball coach Brian Medeiros said. "All the girls were excited to be back, and for that I’m grateful. In terms of prep, like any year, we try to build off the day before; each day will get better and more comfortable with the restrictions in place."

Amity Regional High School athletic director Ernie Goodwin told Patch Wednesday, "There was great excitement yesterday. Our phones rang off the hook with parents double-checking to ensure their child was ready to go. It was great to feel "normal" yesterday for many of our student-athletes. We continue to think about our student-athletes unable to participate right now, and are working diligently to get them involved in any way we can."

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