MHSAA Announces Restart Dates for Winter Sports

Three non-contact sports will resume and four contact sports to begin practice in Michigan.

After the recent updates to the epidemic order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, three non-contact winter sports are set to resume in Michigan. Along with the three non-contact sports, four more contact sports will be able to begin practices with non-contact activities.

The non-contact sports of gymnastics, bowling, and swimming & diving will be allowed to return to competition this month. Girls and boys swimming & diving can begin on Friday, January 22nd while girls gymnastics and girls and boys bowling can resume on Monday, January 25th. Face masks will be required to be worn by all participants except when actively participating in gymnastics and swimming & diving. When it comes to spectators, attendance will be capped at 100 persons in school gyms and 250 in stadiums and arenas.

We are glad to have three more sports join skiing in returning to full activity, but we understand the disappointment and frustration on the part of our athletes and coaches whose sports are not yet able to restart completely,” “We will continue to adjust schedules to provide all of our winter teams as substantial an experience this season as possible, as part of our greater plan this school year to play all three seasons to conclusion...said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl.

The sports that are considered contact sports include basketball, competitive cheer, ice hockey, and wrestling. Per the new orders, those sports will be allowed to return to non-contact practice on Saturday, January 16th. The first competitions for those sports are scheduled to begin on Monday, February 1st. Tournament dates for these sports will be adjusted and announced later this week.

For more information on the new orders and high school sports, click here. 

Source: Michigan High School Athletic Association