On Jan. 2, MCPS announced the removal of spectators from school athletics and as COVID-19 numbers continue to rise, there is no clear end in sight. 

Prior to this announcement, it was permitted for students, staff and parents to watch sports games provided that they are masked and following all other current guidelines. While the Omicron variant spread and 11 schools shut down, the R.A.I.S.E plan was updated and spectators were removed. Despite all non-athletic extracurricular activities being shut down, practices and games are still permitted as long as there is no outbreak within the team. 

Initially it was said that this measure would take place through Jan. 16, but more recently MCPS documents have said that it will be extended with another update to come Jan. 23. According to MCPS, the current guidelines “will be assessed on a daily basis based on public health science, and are subject to change over the next month in response to the Omicron variant.”

There are mixed reactions among athletes who are missing the atmosphere created by spectators at games. The rule has been particularly frustrating for seniors who are without spectators in their final year of high school competition. “As great as it feels to win a game on the last shot, we all definitely wished the fans were here to celebrate this victory with us,” senior Dason Miller said following a big win against Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

While normally teams are focused on competing at their highest level, COVID-19 has brought an additional challenge. There is no doubt that there is great risk for these indoor sports teams as they have already had to deal with outbreak control. “Even though it is difficult to have to play without fans, I would still rather continue the season like this rather than not have one at all,” senior Sam Keller said.  

It was a surprise for students to find out that all extracurriculars were suspended with the exception of sports. It is encouraged for all students to get involved in their area of interest and often students take a path having nothing to do with sports.“It seems smart for there not to be indoor sports fans, but it is frustrating to see the county send a message that activities unrelated to sports are less important,” freshman Lily Judelsohn said. 

Students are optimistic about spring sports hoping to not only have a full season but one where parents and fans are welcome. The lack of communication has been frustrating with lots of publicly conflicting information. Athletic Director Alton Lightsey said, “The county has extended the break another week to further access the metrics of cases.”