December 7, 2020 - We, the school leaders of the Merrimack Valley Conference (MVC), share a common commitment to keeping our students, staff, and community safe during the current health crisis. We also know that the commitment to safety extends beyond the impact of COVID-19, and includes the physical, social, and emotional health of our students. As part of that commitment to student safety, we understand the important role that athletics plays in our students’ lives and aim to balance the ability for students to participate athletically with the need to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our schools and communities. On November 20, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Board of Directors voted to approve sport-specific modifications for the 2020-2021 winter season. These modifications include basketball, gymnastics, ice hockey, skiing, and swimming & diving, but do not include wrestling, indoor track, winter cheerleading, and dance, which have been moved to future seasons. The modifications also set a new start date for the winter sports season of December 14, 2020. As MVC leaders, we have continued our weekly meetings that began in early October, and have developed the following two-phased approach to the upcoming winter season: Phase I (Practices/Tryouts) - Starts December 14
Phase II (Interscholastic Competitions) - Starts January 11
We are hopeful that we will be able to continue to have athletics, including interscholastic competitions, among our member schools this winter, and we urge the members of our communities to practice proper health protocols (mask wearing, physical distancing, etc.) so that our student-athletes can have the opportunity to compete. Sincerely, Sheldon Berman, Superintendent, Andover Public Schools Timothy Piwowar, Superintendent, Billerica Public Schools Christopher Sullivan, President, Central Catholic High School Jay Lang, Superintendent, Chelmsford Public Schools Steven Stone, Superintendent, Dracut Public Schools Margaret Marotta, Superintendent, Haverhill Public Schools Joel D. Boyd, Superintendent, Lowell Public Schools Brandi Kwong, Superintendent, Methuen Public Schools Gregg T. Gilligan, Superintendent, North Andover Public Schools Chris Malone, Superintendent, Tewksbury Public Schools |
2020 School Year > Recent Communications >