New Haven Schools Ban 'Physical Contact' Sports Until 2021

NEW HAVEN, CT — In a letter from New Haven Public Health director Maritza Bond on school sports she said while she knows the decision to cut school sports is a "disappointment to many parents and students," it's required to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19.

"We recognize that this decision will come as a disappointment to many parents and students. We will continue to monitor the status of the pandemic and keep families updated as information becomes available," she said, but said, "games or practices that involve physical contact will not be allowed at this time.

"Under these challenging circumstances, it is necessary for the City to make decisions regarding the wisdom of allowing for school sporting events involving both moderate and high risk sports to be held at this time, particularly given the recommendations of the Department of Public Health that such activities be postponed for until Spring 2021."

Sports that involve close, sustained contact, but with protective equipment in place that may reduce the likelihood of respiratory particle transmission between participants, sports that involve intermittent close contact or group sports and sports that use equipment that cannot be cleaned between participants are affected.

Examples of moderate risk sports as defined by the CDC guidance and under the Reopen CT guidance include: volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, water polo, gymnastics, ice hockey, field hockey, tennis, swimming relays, pole vault, high/long jump, girls lacrosse, crew with two or more rowers.

High risk sports are those that involve close, sustained contact between athletes without significant protective barriers, creating a high risk that respiratory particles will be transmitted between participants. These sports also require shared equipment and gear which can cause the virus to be transmitted. Social distancing is also difficult to maintain during games/practices/scrimmages for these sports.

Examples of high-risk sports as defined by the CDC and under the Reopen Connecticut guidance include wrestling, football, basketball, boy’s lacrosse, competitive cheer, and dance.

The city "will only permit conditioning training for high risk and moderate risk sports."

“I know how important sports are to the lives of so many students and families. I can assure you that this decision was not made lightly," New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said. "We must ensure the safety and health of our students and community so that we can overcome the virus and get back to normal life sooner."

New Haven Public School Superintendent Dr. Ilene Tracey said, "I know how sports have become an important fabric of school and community life and culture. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic still here, we want to be confident that we educate our students in a safe way. The State and local Health Departments have determined that contact sports are not safe for our students at this juncture. I want to thank them for taking this action on behalf of our students and families."