The MIAA and the Middlesex League have made significant changes to this year’s winter sports program due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.   The most striking change is the league’s decision to eliminate all spectators from games. 

The winter sports season will include boys and girls basketball, boys and girls hockey, and gymnastics and will begin on December 14.  Other traditional winter sports like boys and girls track, and boys swimming have been moved to what the state is calling the Fall II season, to begin in late February.  Wrestling is tentatively scheduled for the spring.

Due to the ongoing pandemic masks are a requirement for all players. According to the RMHS Athletics Winter 2020 Letter 2, everyone must bring their own water and find their own means of transportation to and from events, as RMHS will not be providing transportation. Lastly, all students looking to participate in the winter sports season must fill out a COVID-19 waiver form.

There will be absolutely no spectators permitted at any sporting event to try to combat the spread of COVID-19. Interestingly, a petition was started by a Middlesex League fan listed as Matthew Savage on change.org. The petition states, “The MIAA follows the EEA ordinance, which states, ‘the presence of spectators plus players, coaches, referees and facility workers does not cause the facility to exceed more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for the indoor facility, then spectators for the players under 21 years old are allowed to attend, spectators are limited to two adults, parents/guardian, sibling of participating players…'” I myself saw this petition through Snapchat stories. At the time of writing this, the petition currently has 2,420 signatures and can be found here.