Salem Set To Take A Shot At Winter Indoor School Sports

SALEM, MA — Salem High School athletes will be able to get into the game this winter after all.

After a month-long delay due to rising coronavirus rates and logistics concerns about having indoor sports amid the pandemic, Salem Public Schools have given the go-ahead to start practice in boys basketball, girls basketball, gymnastics and swimming on Saturday.

"We are excited to get this started,"Salem Public Schools said in a statement. "As you can imagine, there are some updates and new requirements for participation."

All athletes wishing to play must register and submit a physical by the start of practice to participate. All athletes must also get a flu vaccine with documentation by Monday.

The district said as a condition of playing athletes must take a COVID-19 test prior to the start of the season and tests must be taken weekly to keep participating. The team's coach or Salem Athletic Director Scott Connolly will distribute the forms and the tests.

Athletes are encouraged to take part in the free, saliva testing being done at Salem schools this week.

Salem Superintendent Stephen Zrike emphasized last month when he announced the initial postponement that at that point the hope in that city was to have basketball, swimming and gymnastics at some point between the start of January and the end of February when this year's winter season finishes.

"I want to be clear that this is not a cancellation," Zrike said at the time. "I've had some questions about that. It is a delay of the season."

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has postponed wrestling and competitive cheer to at least the "Fall 2" season set to begin in late February.

The North Shore has been split on indoor sports this winter with Danvers, Marblehead and Swampscott among the schools that postponed or suspended the start of the season into January.

Peabody is among the schools that proceeded with winter sports as schedules allow with significant coronavirus-related rule modifications.

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While the Northeastern Conference, and most communities across the state, had what was largely considered a fairly safe and successful fall season in outdoor sports such as cross country running, golf, field hockey and soccer — with rule modifications as well — winter brings more challenges with sports competing indoors where virus spread is considered much more prevalent than outdoors.

There are also the fiscal impacts of the virus-related restrictions of winter sports this year.

Because only a fraction of fans will be allowed inside rinks and gymnasiums due to social distancing guidelines the "revenue" sports will cost more money than they will generate.

Safety protocols will put more strain on budgets than they did outdoors because they will have to be more extensive. Rental costs of some area rinks and pools have also increased, while smaller rosters means a reduction of user fees to pay for those increases.

More Patch Coverage: Salem Free Student Testing Ahead Of Return To Hybrid Learning

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Swampscott Joins Salem In Pressing Pause On Winter School Sports

Winter MA School Sports Will Get A Shot With Modifications