LA Athletes have been practicing since August 24, using safety precautions including masks, distancing, and daily health checks. The MPA has given approval to move forward with a shortened 2020 season. LA officials are taking the added precautions of having athletes wear masks during competition and prohibiting spectators at home contests.
On Thursday, September 10, the Maine Principals’ association released long-anticipated fall sports guidelines for member schools. While there are details of the plan that need further investigation, Lincoln Academy will move forward with the fall sports season for all teams: cross country, golf, boys and girls soccer, and field hockey, with the following guidelines in place:
- All student athletes will wear masks at all times on campus and on the practice fields until further notice.
- Cross Country and Golf, deemed “low risk sports” will proceed forward with their season following MPA guidelines
- Soccer and Field hockey will move into Phase IV and will be allowed to initiate “contact” related activities in training including intra-squad competition, but as stated above will be required to wear masks at all times.
- Contests for XC and Golf will begin in accordance with the MPA guidelines on scheduling.
- Contests for Soccer and Field Hockey will be scheduled to begin on or after October 9th.
- All home contests will be live streamed on the day of the event and no spectators will be allowed to attend in person in order to assure that Lincoln Academy adheres to the limits (teams, coaches, officials and school officials count towards 100 person limit) for outdoor gatherings as set by Governor Mills Executive Order. Other schools in our conference (the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference) have also prohibited spectators.
- Transportation will include Lincoln Academy busing and student or parent driving if necessary.
Participation in all athletic activities is predicated on the current state of the COVID-19 transmission and caseloads in the state of Maine and Lincoln county. Should information from State, local, or national sources warrant suspension of any or all of these activities, Lincoln Academy will contact student-athletes and parents/guardians as quickly and efficiently as possible.
According to LA Health Center director Eric Duffy, who has reviewed the MPA guidelines and crafted the school’s athletic policy along with Athletic Director KJ Anastasio and Head of School Jeff Burroughs, “we’re trying to strike a balance between safety and athletics based on the most current scientific data related to covid transmission through respiratory droplets, and that means we are willing to start out more cautiously than the MPA guidelines. This takes adjustment to everyone’s expectations for a ‘normal’ season, but we want students to be able to play as much as possible, as long as they are safe.”
“Our priority is to keep our school community open, as safely as possible for as long as possible.”
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