HCPSS Postpones Fall High School Athletic Season

July 29th, 2020

In accordance with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association MPSSAA Roadmap to Recovery for Interscholastic Athletics, the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) established a Return to Play committee to assess opportunities for a return to athletic participation. This committee has connected regularly with the Howard County Health Department and MPSSAA to help guide our decision on whether athletics could safely be resumed this fall.

MPSSAA or the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) have not yet announced any changes regarding the fall athletic season. HCPSS has made the decision that fall athletic programs will not begin on August 12, 2020, which is currently designated as the MPSSAA start date. As we await more direction, HCPSS will delay the start of the athletic season until at least September 8, 2020, when students are scheduled to begin virtual instruction.

At this time, coaches may continue engaging with student-athletes through virtual meeting sessions to provide conditioning routines and drills and promote health and well-being. The HCPSS Return to Play committee will continue planning for reopening to be ready for September 8 or when the state and school system determine that it is safe to do so.

We anticipate further direction by the Maryland State Department of Education and MPSSAA soon and hope to have a decision and timeline finalized and communicated to our student-athletes and families as soon as possible. Registration will be closed temporarily and the community will receive notice when registration reopens.

Decisions regarding extracurricular activities for all levels are also under consideration.

Information about athletics is provided on the HCPSS website and will be updated as new information becomes available.