The CIAC have mandated a ‘pause’ in all sports under their jurisdiction until Aug. 24.

LYME/OLD LYME/STATEWIDE — 8/21 UPDATE: The CIAC issued a statement today, Aug. 21, which says in part, ” The CIAC will delay the first date for all fall sports to Saturday, August 29, 2020.” Most other aspects of fall sports remain undecided at this point.

The full statement reads as follows:

 The CIAC Board of Control met this morning to review last night’s discussion with the DPH and establish a timeline for decisions on the start of fall sports.

The CIAC has requested that the DPH consider allowing our member schools to resume the non-contact conditioning workouts which they have been conducting since July 6, 2020 as early as Monday. Additionally, the CIAC understands that, at today’s ReOpen CT Rules Committee meeting, consideration will be given to the inconsistent guidance issued for CIAC interscholastic athletics versus non-CIAC youth sport opportunities. The CIAC and the DPH will continue our collaborative work once an update from those discussions is available, either later today or over the weekend.

For our member schools’ planning purposes, the CIAC Board of Control has established the following timeline:

• The CIAC Board of Control will meet again at 7:00PM Sunday. 

• The CIAC Board of Control will submit modified fall sport plan options to the DPH for consideration, which it has indicated it would welcome for review. 

• The CIAC will delay the first date for all fall sports to Saturday, August 29, 2020. 

This timeline will allow the DPH adequate time to consider CIAC’s revised fall sports plans, which it will submit early next week, and athletic directors the time necessary to begin a sports season. The CIAC will update member schools on the return to conditioning workouts as soon as more information becomes available. 

(From the previous CIAC statement) On Friday, Aug. 14, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Board of Control convened and extended an invitation to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) to meet in the coming week to discuss its recommendations for interscholastic athletics.

Based on DPH recommendations, the board took the action to pause all in-person interscholastic fall sport activity including conditioning programs which are already underway until Monday, Aug. 24.

The CIAC will look to emphasize the value of the integration of athletics with the return to education and concerns of equity and consistency between interscholastic athletics and other athletic opportunities.

Coaches are encouraged to promote virtual safe contact and conditioning with their athletes during the pause so as to not lose the conditioning gains and socialization benefits made during the summer.

Asked to comment on this mandated pause in sports activity, Lyme-Old Lyme Schools Superintendent Ian Neviaser said, “We support the CIAC’s decision to pause the beginning of the fall sports season in order to ensure a safe playing environment for all student athletes.  We will follow forthcoming guidance once the CIAC has consulted with the DPH to provide such to all schools in CT.  We look forward to a safe return to the playing fields and courts for all of our student athletes.”