Fall season officially underway in N. Central
Practices across state kicked off on Friday
Kicking off the fall sports season once seemed like something of a pipe dream for high school students amid a global pandemic six months ago, having watched the spring campaign axed before it could begin.
Those dreams have officially become reality in Massachusetts. And that new reality can be simply described as new and different.
There will be unique regulations for all athletics in the state, but students hit the fields for the first practices of fall on Friday afternoon.
In a scene likely mirrored at most schools, the Fitchburg High cross country teams sat through a COVID-19 meeting prior to Friday’s practice at the high school, priming them on the details they’d need to know for the upcoming season.
“I’ve been doing this for a while and never had a meeting like this before the first practice, so it’s definitely different before we even get going,” boys cross country coach Jack Scott said. “It’s an interesting start to the season. I think in listening to (Principal Jeremy Roche), we’ve got a really good plan in place here and the kids are all about it. They’re willing to do the things we need to do to make this season happen.”
The Red Raiders started their season with a walkthrough of a new home course, relocated from Coggshall Park to a route around the high school for this upcoming season.
Runners walked the course with distance between one another and masks on their faces, a new accessory that was featured on athletes across the region and in all sports.
“Just a simple thing like tossing your water bottle to a teammate for a sip, you can’t do it this season,” Scott said. “That kind of things happens all the time in normal times. There are a bunch of everyday things like that we’re going to have to get used to.”
Soccer and field hockey will see the number of players on the field at a time lowered this season and modified rules in both sports will make preparing teams for the season a challenge.
The Red Raiders field hockey squad kicked off its first practice of the season take place on the turf of the Game On Fitchburg complex, with head coach Jennifer Scott leading her group through basic stickwork drills.
To limit the potential spread of germs throughout the team, each player was assigned a numbered ball to be used at every practice in addition to wear face masks while in close proximity to teammates.
Once games begin, field hockey will look quite different, with only seven players per side on the field at a time and penalty corners have been eliminated.
Soccer could be nearly unrecognizable, with throw ins and intentional heading of the ball done away with. There will be no slide tackles and the usual 40-minute halves will become four 10-minute quarters, making a game this fall as long as half of a normal one.
Contests aren’t scheduled to begin until Oct. 2, giving teams a chance to get acclimated to new rules.