Princeton HS Face Challenges In Winter Sports Due to Mask Mandate

PRINCETON, NJ – Princeton High School student-athletes are facing a few challenges this winter sports season, due to masking mandates.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise, Dr. Robert Helmrich, PPS district physician recommended that student-athletes wear masks at all times. But the district found that none of the other schools, including PPS's “traditional competition” requires athletes to wear masks at all times. Hence, they are facing a challenge finding opponents.

“There are some school districts not adopting that (universal mask mandate), and therefore causing us some concern about how much competition we can have with our winter sports program,” Galasso told the school board at the meeting held last week.

The mandate requires athletes to wear masks at all times, rather than just pre- and post-game and while on the bench.

Galasso said that PPS athletic director Brian Dzbenski is working to find opponents who follow a universal masking protocol, to keep the students safe and to give them an opportunity to play their sports.

According to Galasso, Helmrich’s recommendations are based on American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, which suggests that masks greatly reduce the chances of COVID-19 transmission while playing sports.

“Dr. Helmrich is a sports advocate,” said Galasso. “But he is also someone who treats a lot of patients in our community and in his opinion and in the opinion of the American Pediatrics Association, the best way to keep our athletes safe and for them not to cause a problem on the academic side, would be universal mask wearing,” said Galasso.

Galasso said Helmrich, along with the Princeton Health Department and Dr. George DiFerdinando, chair of the Princeton Board of Health, have provided the district with “terrific” guidance with regard to keeping schools open and continuing the athletics program.

He said other school districts would soon get people to wear masks, and then student-athletes will be able to have some competition.

“We don’t think it’s a big ask; we think it’s something our medical people think is important to keep our kids safe, keep our faculty and staff safe, and keep the schools open for in-person instruction,” he said.

Practice for the winter sports season in Princeton schools began on Jan. 2 with hockey.

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