Spring Sport Update 2020
Tuesday May 5, 2020:
Student Athletes, Coaches, and Families of Durham and Middlefield,
As you may already know, the State of Connecticut has officially announced the cancellation of the remainder of the academic year. While this news may have been foreseeable, I’m sure many of you had hoped for something different. With the Governor’s announcement to cancel school for the remainder of the academic year, so ends the hope to resume any sort of Spring athletic season. While many of you may be disappointed by the decision, the circumstances affecting our community have made it impossible to resume athletics at this time. Please see the full message from Glenn Lungarini of the CIAC below.
The CIAC’s consideration for any spring sport experience has always been contingent on the re-opening of schools for in-person instruction. This morning, Governor Lamont ordered the cancellation of in-school classes for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic year. Therefore, there will not be a 2020 CIAC spring sports season. The CIAC empathizes with our school communities and the experiences lost due to COVID-19. Our focus is now on completing guidelines for summer contact and resocialization of CIAC sports in the fall.
With that being said, I’d like to take this time to express my shared disappointment to the high school and middle school athletes of Regional School District 13. I know all of you looked forward to the Spring of 2020 filled with anticipation for your upcoming or final sports season at your respective school. To the seniors, while you will not have the opportunity to return to the athletic fields of Coginchaug, please know that you have made an incredibly positive impact on CRHS and your legacy will endure.
I hope all of you and your families are doing well and staying safe during this time. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely
Todd Petronio
Athletic Director
Tuesday March 24, 2020:
Student Athletes, Coaches, and Families of Durham and Middlefield,
As the High School Spring 2020 athletic season was originally scheduled to start this past Saturday, I looked back at this past weekend and reflect on where we hope to move towards and what needs to occur to accomplish that goal. The middle school season is not scheduled to begin until after April 20th at the moment.
While our schools are closed, the CIAC is recommending that we strongly discourage student-athletes from engaging in any organized athletic activity. Social distancing is the best course of action that we can collectively take to prevent further spread of COVID-19. I realize this is a challenge for middle school aged children - just ask my own 7th grader.
However, our common athletic goal is to return to normal sport practices, games, and some general remnants of a Spring sport season. This goal cannot be accomplished if we do not stand firm on the importance of everyone doing their part in social distancing. We need to remind our students to not engage in organized outside team practices, workouts, or individualized instruction until the guidance on social distancing is relaxed.
We strongly discourage students from working out as a team or groups in order to stay prepared for the hopeful upcoming sport season. Please do not gather on school grounds or anywhere else as groups. This goes against the country’s leaders recommendations and can only contribute to the delay of schools reopening and the demise of the hope for a spring athletic season.
I know all of us want our student athletes to remain physically fit and conditioned as well as a healthy mind and body, however we must strongly urge our student athletes on best practices for the health and safety of all in our community.
I look forward to seeing all of you in the future once social guidelines are changed and schools and sports are back in session!
Sincerely,
Todd Petronio
Athletic Director
Coginchaug Regional High School and Frank W Strong Middle School
