CIAC leaves student athletes and their parents in confusion after a mind boggling week of ‘decisions’

Posted By: Jack Krampitz August 18, 2020

By Jack Krampitz

Last week the CIAC Board of Control made a series of decisions and announcements that would have confused Solomon himself. Here is the chronology:

2 weeks ago

About 2 weeks ago, the CIAC presented a plan for a delayed start of the fall sports season, a plan that called for all fall sports to be played in an abbreviated schedule and playoff structure.

Teams were given specific dates as to when they could start conditioning, the types of practices they could hold and various other regulations about bus trips and locker room use.

Football teams were among the first to be allowed to meet and practice. That would have meant meetings would have started this week.

A week ago

Monday, Aug. 10–The CIAC Football Committee met and voted 9-1 to recommend to the Board of Control that the fall football season not be played, with a suggestion that it be moved to the spring of 2021.

Tuesday, Aug. 11–On Tuesday night, the CIAC reached out to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), asking for an opinion on the plan to play in the fall.

Wednesday, Aug. 12–At a 2 p.m. meeting, the Board of Control voted to continue with the entire fall schedule that had previously been released.

They did not wait for the opinion from the DPH, but went ahead with their vote. They also went against the recommendation of the Football Committee, a committee made up of athletic directors, school administrators and sports medicine doctors. 

Thursday, Aug. 13–The DPH released its advice that the CIAC had requested, stating that football and volleyball should be moved to the spring schedule and the other fall sports could continue with “a very cautious approach.”

Friday, Aug. 14–The CIAC announced that all fall sports will be paused until they can meet with the DPH to discuss the future of the fall sports season this week.

So now all sports are on hold until further notice.

To quote one coach, “We just wish they would make up their minds and stick to it.”

Certainly, the CIAC, just as every school superintendent in the state, is in a difficult position.

If things shut down, 50 percent of the population will be angry and disappointed and yet somewhat safer.

If things open up and the virus explodes, the decision makers have put the lives of our children, teachers and coaches at risk.

When the plans were first released at the end of July, it was stressed that everything would be “fluid” as conditions and circumstances changed.

However, last week was not an example of fluid, it was closer to an example of erratic and disconcerting. Conditions and circumstances did not change. Only the decisions did.