A lot of changes are in store for local winter sports this year — most notably that vaccinated athletes will be able to compete in basketball, hockey, and track running events without a mask after the winter holiday break.

And fans of Newtown High School (NHS) wrestling should be happy to see that sport returning after the previous slate was canceled altogether.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) has collaborated closely with the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Connecticut State Medical Society Sports Medicine Committee to develop its winter sports guidance. This is in alignment with all DPH guidance for youth and interscholastic sports throughout Connecticut.

The option to go mask-free in competitions will be at the discretion of each school district. Additionally, All CIAC winter sports will play a full schedule, including multi-team events and interstate competition, and culminate in CIAC State Championships.

Last winter, teams were limited to facing conference-only competition, and state playoffs were shelved because of coronavirus risks. Additionally, the season had a delayed start with limited conditioning and practice time to start.

“I think we’re poised to have a good, full season with tournaments just like in the fall,” Newtown High School Athletic Director Matt Memoli said.

According to the CIAC’s winter sports guidance: “Vaccination of all eligible athletes, coaches, and officials is currently the most important mitigation strategy we have available for preventing COVID-19 and flu outbreaks on youth sports teams and in the surrounding communities that support them.

“The more athletes, coaches, officials, and supporting family members who are vaccinated, the more likely interscholastic and other youth sports teams will be able to avoid repeated COVID-19 quarantines and testing of participants, to keep practicing and playing throughout the scheduled season, and to get back to a ‘new normal’ for youth sports in our state,” the guidance continues. “One major perk for getting COVID-19 vaccinated: individuals who are vaccinated do not need to quarantine if exposed to a COVID-19 case.”

Masks Were Challenging

For area school officials on and off the playing surfaces, the changes will be a breath of fresh air. Memoli said it was a challenge for athletic directors, officials, and site directors to police mask-wearing last year.

As part of the winter sports guidance, masks are still required for basketball, hockey, and track running events prior to the holiday break. Masks will not be required for fully vaccinated athletes in basketball, hockey, and running competitions after the winter break, but will be required for all other settings, including practice, sidelines, benches, and locker rooms.

Masks will be required for partially or unvaccinated basketball, hockey, and track running athletes in all settings, including competitions, throughout the winter.

“Everything is progressing in an upward direction. That’s exactly what we all have hoped for,” said Tim Tallcouch, coach of the NHS boys’ basketball team.

Tallcouch is pleased that masks will not be required for game play after the break.

“I really felt that it did not hinder us last season. Rather play without but we do what we are told to do,” Tallcouch said.

“Extremely excited that the kids will not have to wear masks while playing. Any chance to regain some normalcy is always welcomed," said Jeremy O’Connell, girls’ basketball coach at NHS, adding a positive this winter is no restrictions on practice sessions. O'Connell said that if things evolve to a point masks can come off during practices teams can emphasize conditioning again. "It was more than difficult trying to maintain the level of play while needing to take mask breaks and such," he said.

For track throwing and jumping events, masks may be temporarily removed for competition settings before and after the winter break. Masks obviously will not be used in the water for the boys’ swimming and diving season, but mask use will be mandated for time on the pool deck, locker rooms, and dryland training throughout the winter.

Masks are required for cheerleaders and dance team members during competitive routines, as well as all other settings prior to the break, but may be removed for stunting and tumbling. After the break, masks will not be required for fully vaccinated athletes in any competition settings, but must be worn in all other settings, such as practice, sideline cheer, benches, and locker rooms.

Wrestling And Gymnastics

The nose and mouth coverings should not be used for gymnastics or wrestling competitions or certain practice activities throughout the winter regardless of vaccination status. For wrestling, masks should not be worn during practice while actively grappling; masks required in all other settings, including non-grappling practice.

In gymnastics, masks should not be used during competition or practice on apparatus or while tumbling; masks required in all other settings.

Wrestling was not held due to being considered by the DPH and CIAC to be a “high risk” sport. Some gymnasts wore masks for competition on the balance beam and removed them for events such as the bars last winter. The idea of wrestlers wearing masks would not have worked, Memoli said.

“If you’re wearing a mask while wrestling there’s no shot of it staying on your face,” Memoli said.

The NHS athletic director is thrilled to have wrestling back for the Newtown athletes.

“It’s great. We have so many kids in this building who are only wrestlers. They didn’t have anything. Football had something; wrestling had nothing,” said Memoli, referring to the traditional 11 on 11 contact football season being replaced with 7 on 7 flag football in 2020 before making a regular return this past fall.

According to the CIAC, “decisions regarding regular season spectator/fan attendance should be made at the individual district and school level, in consultation with the local health department, and in the context of any state or local mandates in place at any time.”

Swim, indoor track, wrestling officials, cheer, and dance judges will wear masks regardless of vaccination status for CIAC interscholastic athletic competitions. Basketball and hockey officials who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will not be required to wear a mask while officiating. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated basketball and hockey officials are required to wear a mask while officiating. Officials, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask at all times when not actively officiating (locker rooms, pregame warm-ups, halftime, player introductions, etc).

The winter season begins in the middle of December for some sports, including girls’ basketball, which kicks off at home on Monday, December 13 with a game against Cromwell at 5:30 pm.

The complete winter sports guidance plan is available on the CIAC website casciac.org, http://www.casciac.org/pdfs/CIACWinter2021-2022COVIDSportGuidanceFinalDraftv4_Approved.pdf

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.