New Haven Public Schools

Guidance on COVID-19

NHPS Fall Sports Plan 2021-2022

City of New Haven Guidance

We know that sports are a vital part of our community and deeply important to many residents. We must be guided by science and the public health parameters set by the State of Connecticut and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This decision is difficult and not taken lightly, and we know that this has been a frustrating and challenging time for many members of our community. However, it is the right decision to ensure the overall health and safety of our residents, and is critical to ensuring that we reduce the spread of COVID-19 and more quickly return to normalcy and regular sports seasons. 

Below are the City of New Haven’s classification of each sport in accordance with state and federal guidance, and a final determination by the New Haven Public Health Department. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance from the State Department of Public Health (DPH), high risk sports will not be allowed during the fall 2020 season. In addition, moderate risk sports will be allowable only within compliance with State DPH guidelines using mitigation strategies as outlined by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) which can be found here.

In accordance with DPH guidance, pre-season conditioning is a critical safety component for high school athletes and therefore will be allowed under the following conditions:

• The activities are limited to those directed at improving athletes’ aerobic conditioning, as well as sports-specific contact drills
• Athlete cohort size should be limited to 10 individuals
• Cohorting of athletes during conditioning and practices should continue through the entire season, when practicable
• To the extent possible, all conditioning and practice activities through the entire season should take place outdoors in areas with sufficient space to allow for appropriate distancing. If indoor gym spaces or weight rooms must be used, they should be limited to use by a single cohort at one time and only used in compliance with the DECD sector rules for commercial gyms (i.e. use of masks, adequate spacing of machines, capacity limits, etc.). Schools that do not have appropriate space or other resources to comply with commercial gym sector rules should limit conditioning and practice activities to outdoor only.
• Sufficient staffing should be available to directly supervise the activities of each cohort of athletes separated at all times
• Face coverings, social distancing, and all other mitigation strategies outlined in the CIAC Resocialization of Interscholastic Athletics & Activities Guidance should continue to be strictly enforced, trained, and reinforced.

*All of this information is subject to change based on updated guidance from the Department of Public Health and as we continue to closely monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.