September 11th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

Allegany County Public Schools plans to return to extracurricular activities as the school system safely returns students to small group in-person learning.  As part of the guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), ACPS must consult and collaborate with the Maryland Public Schools Secondary Athletic Association (MPSSAA) on any plans to return to play and/or practice.

Families, student athletes, and all those who wish to participate in extra curricular activities should note the following:

 

• MPSSAA has suspended all sports until the second semester, which is currently set for February 1- June 19, 2021.
• MPSSAA has allowed for a return to sports without competition (conditioning, weight-training similar to summer conditioning programs) in the first semester.
• MPSSAA is planning for all three sports to be held consecutively, with limited competition, beginning after February 1, 2021.

 

Therefore, Allegany County Public Schools will follow a similar model beginning September 21st with spring sports, followed by fall and then winter. Each “season” will meet for approximately six weeks on the following timeline:

 

• Spring Sports – September 21st through October 30th (6 weeks)
• Fall Sports –  November 2nd through December 11th (6 weeks)
• Winter Sports – December 14th though January 22nd (6 weeks)

 

These dates are tentative and will be based upon changes or guidance issued by MPSSAA. ACPS must ensure that sessions will be limited to five days a week with no sessions on weekends. Coaches can do less than that in order to prepare, but are not permitted to do more. ACPS must also ensure that safety plans for practices will be in place, and the entire plan is approved by MPSSAA before implementation.