CIAC Okays Fall Soccer Season; Training And Conditioning Dates Set
The on-again, off-again high school fall soccer season is on again.
On Sunday night, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and state Department of Public Health came to an agreement. Fall sports conditioning and skills training can begin soon, in preparation for a fall season.
Grades 10, 11 and 12 will begin Saturday, August 29 (3:30 p.m., Staples track) with the Cooper 2-mile run. The run will be in cohorts of 10. All players in those grades who registered for tryouts before last week’s deadline will be advised of their cohort time soon.
Grades 10, 11 and 12 will then condition and train — first for 60 minutes, then longer, in cohorts of 10 — beginning Sunday, August 30 (3:30 p.m., Wakeman fields) through the beginning of school. Teams will be formed after the first 2 weeks of conditioning and skills training. All players must bring a ball and their own water to every session. All players and parents must also have completed the COVID waiver form (previously sent by Staples to all parents), and players must complete the COVID symptoms form every day. Questions about forms? Email sskutnik@westportps.org.
The 10-game schedule originally announced — and 2-game post-season “tournament experience” — may be adjusted by the FCIAC.
Grade 9 conditioning and training begins Thursday, September 3 (12 to 1:30 p.m., Wakeman turf), and continues every day through Monday, September 7 there. Once school begins on September 8, that continues at Wakeman (grass fields), right after school lets out. According to CIAC’s COVID rules, actual tryouts cannot begin until the conditioning phase has ended. So tryouts begin on September 11, and last as long as Coach Chris O’Dell needs to form his team. He’ll let the players know more details when he meets them. All players must bring a ball and their own water to every session. All players and parents must also have completed the COVID waiver form (previously sent by Staples to all parents), and players must complete the COVID symptoms form every day. Questions about forms? Email sskutnik@westportps.org.
The CIAC emphasizes that the situation is fluid, and rules may still change. But for now, there is a start date for the fall season. And that is a good start.
Many members of the 2019 reserves squad will contend for 2020 varsity spots.
