HOLYOKE — The Parks and Recreation Commission has adopted state COVID-19 health and safety guidelines when fall sports and practices resume.
Terry Sheppard, director of Parks and Recreation, and Board Health Director Sean Gonsalves urged commission members on Thursday to institute protocols and sport-specific guidelines released by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Gonsalves worked with the commission over the summer to shore up guidelines for youth play and practices in the age of COVID-19. The MIAA and state education officials recently released their guidelines.
While non-scholastic teams and leagues don’t have to follow MIAA rules, Gonsalves said the association offers a comprehensive approach. The commission agreed with Gonsalves’s findings and approved the measures.
The Parks Commission will revisit their decision in the coming weeks as team play and practices get underway. Fans must…
