With COVID-19 Guidelines In Place, BFA Fairfax Kicks Off The Fall Sports Season

After a summer of intense planning and preparation, the 2020-21 school year has gotten off to a positive start.  Upon the release of the Fall Athletic Guidelines from the Vermont Agency of Education in coordination with the Governor’s Task Force, BFA Fairfax is committed to offering all of our traditional sports this fall.  High School Football, Cross Country and Soccer began practices on September 8, with their Middle School counterparts following suit on September 14. With that being said, things will look quite different this fall, and will involve a coordinated effort among students, coaches, staff, and the greater community to have a safe and successful athletic season. Some notable differences will be:

• All athletes, coaches, and game personnel must wear a mask at all times, including during game play.  The one exception is cross country running, where athletes may remove their mask to run, as long as they are staggered and maintain appropriate physical distance. (If a student has a documented medical exemption from wearing a mask, that will also be allowed in athletics).
• All fans must wear a mask at all times to attend athletic events, and maintain appropriate physical distance between family groupings.  Inability to adhere to this expectation will result in removal from the event. 
• Fan attendance will be limited to the current Vermont outdoor gathering limit of 150.  Player and coach immediate family members will have first priority for attendance, and non-family member students will ONLY be allowed to spectate if we have not reached the 150 cap.  If BFA Fairfax events exceed 150 regularly, we will move to a game voucher system, where each athlete and coach from both teams receives two game vouchers for attendance.
• Games/Meets will begin once the Agency of Education moves all Vermont schools to Step 3 (approximately the end of September).
• Athletes’, coaches’ and officials’ temperatures will be checked daily upon arrival at practices and events.

Additionally, all BFA Fairfax coaches have been required to complete a heightened level of Covid-19 specific training to ensure the safety and well being of athletes and staff.  More detailed information regarding sports and specific protocols can be found in the BFA Fairfax MS/HS Covid-19 Athletic Handbook at the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PVKQXxIn–GZntRXvor_k8jJ-O73To0zmB_1pXMf01A/edit?usp=sharing

BFA Fairfax looks forward to seeing our athletes on the fields and our spirited fans on the sidelines.  It’s going to take some effort on the part of everyone to stay safe, but the more carefully we adhere to the guidelines and expectations, the greater chance we have of a long and beneficial fall sports season.  Mask up, keep your distance, be positive, and GO BFA FAIRFAX!