Since students will not return to school until various dates after Mar.1, and there are concerns from families regarding high-risk indoor activities, MCPS has declared in their second semester plan that all winter sports and competitions will be cancelled.

There might be opportunities for engaging in sports like swim/dive, basketball and volleyball later in the year, pending facility openings and the go-ahead from the COVID-19 task force for MCPS Athletics. Participation activities, like conditioning, practicing and scrimmaging for the winter season may be available later in the semester, mostly to avoid taking seniors away from their last winter season in high school.

For now, virtual winter engagement opportunities will be offered in the event that in-person activities may not be available. Since there are many unknowns at this time, more information regarding the winter season will come forth in the following months.

Though the school’s winter sports teams did not have a season, some winter clubs and activities took place during COVID. For example, the ice hockey season is competing now against schools from all over the county and other countries. They have played six games so far and there are seven games in the season; their record is 3-1-2.

There are C guidelines they have to follow. For practices all players have to wear masks and only nine people can be on the ice at a time. For games it mostly depends on what the league decides to do and if the coach is a teacher. “I am glad we were able to have a season this year despite all of the COVID restrictions. It was fun to get out of the house and play hockey,” junior Jack Yielding said.

It is hard on the athletes, especially the seniors, who got their last season stripped away from them, just like the seniors in the spring of last year, who also got their seasons stripped from them when COVID first started.

Players on the basketball team are sad they won’t have a season. “As a senior I was really looking forward to being able to enjoy my last year of basketball and also get a senior night but obviously it’s not happening anymore. It was really upsetting to hear the news because it made me feel like all the work and time I put into my game over the summer was for nothing,” senior William Margarites said.

There are still lots of unknowns and MCPS is unsure where they are heading concerning winter sports. For more updates,, check out the school’s home page and the athletics page, as well as the MCPS homepage and the second semester plan set by the administration of the MCPS athletics program.