Baltimore County Public Schools To Allow Inner County Sporting Events Beginning Next Friday
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- Student-athletes in Baltimore County will be able to face off in games beginning next Friday.
Baltimore County Public Schools made the announcement Friday.
In a statement, Baltimore County Public Schools officials said inner county games will be allowed beginning March 12.
Student-athletes will only be allowed to have one spectator each.
The statement reads in full:
"Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) supports the safe return to athletic competition for student athletes. After continued consultation with staff from the Baltimore County Department of Health and an intense focus on mitigation strategies, BCPS will allow inner county competitive games beginning Friday, March 12, 2021. BCPS will continue to partner with the Maryland Department of Health, MSDE, and the Baltimore County Department of Health as we monitor health metrics and utilize CDC guidelines to support decision-making. To aid and support the safety of our student athletes and staff, we will only allow one spectator per athlete when competition resumes. Information on how spectators can access a ticket will be forthcoming from each school's athletics office. As always, we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates and more information as necessary."
This comes just eight days after the district delayed games indefinitely. In response, hundreds of students from across the county posted a video online demanding competitions resume.
Until now, only practices were allowed.
Many parents said it's time for things to return to normal.
"I think it's an important psychological outlet for kids," John Sperati, a Baltimore County parent, said. "They need an outlet, they need to blow off some steam, they need to socialize with their friends."
"I think it's great. I'm a football coach myself, so giving the kids another outlet to do something is good," Lamarr Stewart said.
"They've been pretty much excluded from all of their friends for an entire year," Linda Kane, a Baltimore County parent, said. "We need to get back to normalcy."
Fall sports were canceled earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county said this will be a collaborative effort. The school system will be working closely with the department of health to make sure every team follows CDC guidelines.
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