The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) board of directors voted November 20 to approve the plan for the high school winter sports season.

 The MIAA will move forward with boys’ and girls’ ice hockey, boys’ swim & dive, boys’ and girls’ gymnastics, nordic skiing, and alpine skiing, which will all begin the week of Monday, Dec. 14., However, like the fall season, there will be significant modifications to the sports in order to mitigate the risks of COVID-19. 

The Newton School Committee still needs to approve the plan for sports to move forward at North.

Indoor track, dance, cheerleading, and football will be moved to the fall II season, which is predicted to start February 26. 

According to MIAA Executive Director Bill Gaine, “The MIAA’s mission can be defined by a dual prescription: promoting maximum participation opportunities for the maximum number of student-athletes so that life lessons can be learned. At the same time, promoting the health and safety of all participants is the association’s imperative.”

“Our main goal was to be proactive,” said athletic director Tom Giusti, “We had to initially wait for the guidelines for the MIAA. Then they send it to the different sports committees. They’ll make modifications and adjustments which are then presented to the sports medicine committee.”

Afterwards, Giusti has to relay that information to the School Committee and then the Board of Health for the plan to be approved. According to Giusti he expects to present to the School Committee very soon.