Lots of Bulldog Action coming up this week! Important Spectator Info included

 Last week our Golf team got the fall season rolling with two BIG wins over Davenport foe Foxboro. 

This week, the Golf team is joined by Field Hockey, Boys and Girls Cross Country and Boys and Girls Soccer in facing neighboring rival Stoughton.  

Here is the lineup!

Monday- Girls Soccer at Stoughton (3:45pm) and Boys Soccer vs Stoughton at CHS turf (JV at 3:45, V at 6:00pm)

Tuesday- Field Hockey at Stoughton (V at 3:45, JV at 5:30), Boys and Girls Cross Country hosts Stoughton at Pequitside Farm at 3:45pm and Golf hosts Stoughton at BHCC (3:30pm)

Wednesday- Boys Soccer at Stoughton (3:45) and Girls Soccer vs. Stoughton at CHS turf (JV at 3:45 V at 6:00pm) and Golf faces Stoughton at Easton CC (3:30)

Thursday- Field Hockey hosts Stoughton at CHS turf (V at 3:45, JV at 5:30pm)

SPECTATOR PROTOCOLS Given the challenges associated with keeping our events safe and healthy, the following spectator protocols are in place for our fall contests:

GOLF Matches- Typically a sport with limited spectators.  This fall, we will be asking that our golfers compete without any spectators. 

CROSS COUNTRY Meets- We ask that no spectators attend away Cross Country meets. We also ask that NO Spectators enter the lower field area at Pequitside Farm at home meets. We ask anyone observing the race from other portions of Pequitside please socially distance and wear a face covering. Please note that no parking will be available at the lower lot at Pequitside. 

FIELD HOCKEY and SOCCER GAMES-

• We ask that NO CHS spectators attend any AWAY Field Hockey or Soccer games as the Hockomock League schools have agreed to only allow home fans at these contests. 
• For HOME Field Hockey and Soccer games, we are allowing up to 50 spectators.  In order to achieve this, we ask that only immediate family members attend AND that we average only 2/rostered student athlete.  
• These expectations/guidelines apply to JV and Varsity games. 
• All spectators at CHS Soccer and Field Hockey games must complete our CHS Athletics Daily Health Screener prior to being admitted. Please try to do this ahead of time. It only takes a minute. Click Here for Daily CHS Health Screener link. 
• When arriving at CHS WWII Veterans' Memorial Field, all spectators will have to check in.  They will be asked who they are there for (which student athlete) and we will be confirming that they completed the screener. 
• Once admitted, all spectators (family groups) must remain socially distanced from all other spectators AND wear a face covering. 
• Gates open 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Please expect to wait a couple of minutes for the entrance process. 
  
  
  

GAME STREAMING options-

Given the spectator limitations, we are hard at work in trying to provide as much video footage of games as possible. We are even planning on live streams of many of our contests. We will share these links with Bulldog fans everywhere through this blog, Twitter and other social media platforms.  Keep your eyes open!

Thank you for your patience and support!

Bulldog Strength and Conditioning Program starting up Friday

The CHS Strength and Conditioning Program will resume this Friday with training sessions for non-Fall sports athletes.  If you are not currently playing a Fall sport you can register on Family ID for the program and upon registration you will be provided a link that will allow you to access the sign-up form.

Please note that sessions will be capped at a certain amount of participants due to health and safety concerns.  Once a session is full it will be indicated as such and will close.  We will be transitioning sessions into the weight room setting and as a result masks are REQUIRED during the entire session.  Students will also be required to complete the on-line Covid-19 pre-screen before arriving to their session.  Thank you for registering and we look forward to seeing you for training.

CLICK HERE to register. 

Information on Transportation to Away Contests

Hello Bulldogs!

Given the many challenges we are all facing as we embark on our 2020/21 athletic year, we have made some changes to our policies and practices around transportation to away athletic contests. 

At the bottom of this entry you will find links to important document regarding our transportation policies for the foreseeable future. 

Here are some of the big takeaways that student athletes and parents should know:

1. When a student athlete was registered online through FamilyID by a parent or guardian, a question was asked if the parent/guardian granted permission for for their child to be transported to an away contest by a household member or themselves (if legally licensed.) Most student athletes were granted this permission.  

2. If a student athlete will NOT be taking the bus to a particular away contest, they must coordinate that with their coach.  A coach MUST KNOW AHEAD of time of who will be on the bus and who will not be.

3. The school buses that we use do not have room for more than 23 total passengers. This includes student athletes, coaches, managers, etc. Therefore, in some cases, some teammates may need to transport themselves to an away contest. The coach will coordinate this. 

4.Please be aware that driving your child to an away contest does not grant you entrance into that venue to watch the game. The Hockomock League is NOT allowing away fans to attend our contests this fall. 

Click Here for Transportation Letter to Bulldog student athletes and parents. 

Click Here for Temporary Transportation Policy. 

Fall Sports Kick Off Monday! Lots of important info in this blog entry!

Hello Bulldog Nation! After what seems like an eternity, Bulldog student athletes will officially be hitting the fields on Monday- September 21st.  After a long and exhaustive effort put in by so many, we are ready! That's not to say we won't have some challenges ahead but collectively, we can do this!

Below is important information for ALL registered fall athletes.

This is MUST READ info for Monday!

Sport Specific info can be found at the bottom 

CHS Athletics Self-Screen Health Questionnaire- 
As part of our CHS Athletics Covid-19 Guidelines, all who participate in CHS Athletics activities (games, meets, practice, meetings, etc.) must complete our CHS Athletics Self-Screen Health Questionnaire DAILY- and as close as possible to the time you are actually participating in CHS athletics that day.  The questionnaire must be completed by student athletes, coaches, referees, spectators and other game officials.  We ask that everyone do their part to keep us all safe/healthy, by making this daily task a priority. 

The link to the Self-Screen can be found below.  This screen is separate and in addition to, the student screen needed to attend school. 

So- ALL student athletes attending tryouts/practices on Monday, must complete the screening prior to participating. Your presence at practice will indicate to our coaching staff that you have completed the screening. The CHS Athletic office will be confirming that forms have been filled out on a daily basis. 

Please consider saving the link on your phone for easy access daily. 

Click Here for the Daily Screen. 

Social Distancing/Face Coverings/Arrival Procedures- 

• Student athletes may not arrive at a CHS athletic practice more than 15 minutes prior to the start. If you do arrive earlier than that we ask you to REMAIN IN YOUR CAR. Do NOT congregate in groups in the parking lot. 
• Student athletes must wear a properly worn face covering while arriving at practice. Be sure to have a back-up.  We will have back-up masks available as well.
• The only exception to the face covering expectations is when a written doctor's note is presented to the Athletic Trainer, stating that there is a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a face covering. 
• ALWAYS practice social distancing while at practices and games. Avoid contact with other student athletes and coaches. No "high fives," "fist bumps", or "pats on the back."

Drinking Water-

• All student athletes are expected to arrive at all practices/games/meets/matches with their own, individual water bottle. Be sure to bring enough. A 16 oz bottle of water is typically nowhere near enough water for a practice session or game. 
• Be sure your water bottle is clearly labeled. 
• The Athletic Trainer will have water available for emergencies only. 

Other Important Info-

• Only student athletes who have been registered to participate and have provided an up-to-date physical exam to the Athletic Office may attend Monday. 
• Please bring mosquito repellent with you to any evening sessions. 

SPORT SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR MONDAY

FIELD HOCKEY- Registered field hockey players should arrive at turf field on Monday,September 21st at 6pm. Please wear reversible jersey or bring light and dark jersey. Please bring both sneakers and cleats, stick, mouth guard, labeled water bottle. Session will run 6-8:30. Any questions contact Chrissy O’Connor via email rsd.oconnor@gmail.com.

GOLF- Anyone registered for golf please check your school email for information about specific tryout dates and times. Freshman, sophomores and anyone new to the team will start tryouts on Monday (9/21). Any returning juniors or seniors will start tryouts on Tuesday (9/22). Any questions contact Mike Barucci baruccim@cantonma.org

BOYS SOCCER- All registered Boys Soccer candidates should report to the lower grass fields at CHS for a three-hour session on Monday.  The session will run from 3:30pm-6:30pm. Please wear a white or light colored shirt. We will run 2-miles on lower campus as well as the "deck of cards." The remainder of the session will be scrimmages and other soccer activities. Any questions contact Danny Erickson- ericksond@cantonma.org

GIRLS SOCCER- All registered Girls Soccer candidates should report to the turf field at CHS for a 3:00-5:30pm session on Monday. Please wear white or light colored shirt. Keep an eye out for a separate email from Coach Senyonjo. Any questions- contact coach Senyonjo at edris29@gmail.com

Boys and Girls Cross Country- All registered Cross Country runners should report to the field behind C-Building at CHS on Monday at 3:15pm for our first practice session. Be sure to review everything above in this blog. Be ready to run! Any questions- contact coach Hiltz- hiltzd@cantonma.org

Fall 2020 Sports Season Registration Now Open

It has certainly been a long and winding road, but today we are excited to be officially opening registration for the 2020 Fall Sports Season.  As has been explained on this blog recently, this fall will look incredibly different than most every fall before it. Due to the guidelines set by the state, DESE, MIAA and through decisions at both the Hockomock League and local level, we will be offering the following sports this fall:

• Golf
• Boys and Girls Cross Country
• Field Hockey 
• Boys and Girls Soccer

Our other traditional fall sports will be moved to a newly created season running from late-February thru mid-April. This includes the seasons of our highly successful Cheer squad, our incredible Unified Basketball squad, our defending State Champion Girls Volleyball team and our two-time defending Hockomock Davenport Champion Football team. This fall will mark the first time in nearly a century that CHS will not line up a team on the gridiron this fall.  Our competitive hearts go out to all members of all these teams who must put their seasons' hopes and dreams on hold....for now. 

Registration information for our fall season can be found at the bottom of this blog entry.  However, it is important that all CHS fall athletics families read important details below PRIOR to registering. 

FALL SEASON DATES- The first day of fall sports is Monday, September 21st.  It will include a two-week pre-season (golf will be slightly less).  The season will wrap up prior to the Friday before Thanksgiving. 

The sports that we are able to offer this fall will all play under new, significant modifications and guidelines.  Highlights of these guidelines include:

• All participants must wear a face covering when unable to socially distance (this includes during play)
• All participants must complete a Covid-19 screening daily.
• No more than 25 people may work together at a practice. This will limit roster sizes. 
• No more than 22 people may be on a school bus. This has caused us to temporarily amend our transportation policy. 
• No more than 50 people may attend any Hockomock League contest as spectators. This has caused us to limit spectators to 2 per/family and only at home contests. 

Details of our guidelines as well as sport specific modifications to our sports can be found at the links below:

CHS Athletics Covid-19 Guidelines

MIAA Golf Modifications

MIAA Cross Country Modifications

MIAA Field Hockey Modifications

MIAA Soccer Modifications

The CHS Athletic Department has been working hard to institute practices, guidelines and protocols that will ensure the safest possible experience for our student athletes under these circumstances. We are incredibly confident that we are ready to provide an educational, competitive and SAFE/HEALTHY interscholastic athletic experience for all of our Bulldogs!

ATHLETIC USER FEE- Due to all of the changes associated with this season's athletic experience, the CPS School Committee recently approved and adjustment to the user fee. The fee for playing a fall sport this year will be $160.  You have the option to pay the fee as you register online, but you don't have to. You can always go back and register in the week or so after tryouts. 

GATE FEES- Given the limited number of spectators allowed at our contests this fall, there will be no admission cost charged at any contest. 

ROSTER SIZES- It is always our goal to get as many students involved in our programs as is possible while still providing a great educational experience. We will be guided by that again this fall.  However, due to new guidelines related to Covid-19, roster sizes for all sports will be limited.  Once we have a list of registered student athletes, we will look at how we can structure our rosters (including tryouts) to meet all health and safety guidelines. 

PHYSICAL EXAMS- It is an MIAA rule that in order to be eligible to participate in Interscholastic Athletics in Massachusetts, we must have a physical exam form on record in the CHS Athletic Office. The exam is only valid for 13 months from the date it was performed. We understand that many doctors' offices struggled to maintain their exam schedules this spring/summer and many held exams using tele-health. Unfortunately, the Mass Dept. of Public Health has ruled that virtual physicals are not acceptable to clear a student athlete for athletic participation. Acceptable physical reports may be emailed to the athletic office or uploaded as part of the FamilyID registration process. 

TRANSPORTATION Policy- CHS has made a temporary change to our policy on transportation to/from away athletic contests.  As has always been the case, CHS will provide bus transportation to/from away contests.  However, this fall- parents/guardians may grant permission (as part of the online registration process explained below) for their student athlete to be transported to/from away contests in two additional ways:

1. Parent/Guardian or immediate, household family member may transport them.
2. Legally licensed student athlete may transport themselves and any siblings.  

Note- A student athlete who has been granted permission for the alternative transportation, may take the bus to some contests while not using it for others. 

REGISTRATION- Online registration will be open from Tuesday, September 8th thru Sunday, September 13th.  NO LATE registrations will be accepted as once we identify those looking to tryout for teams, we will begin planning for how to safely run these tryouts/practices given the number of student athletes interested.  A parent/guardian must register a student athlete during the registration window.  To register- visit our registration page of the CHS Athletics Website. 

QUESTIONS/CONCERNS- If you have any questions about CHS Athletics or registration for fall sports in particular, don't hesitate to contact us at ericksond@cantonma.org, 781-821-5050 x6.

GO DOGS!

CHS Athletics Update- 8-31-2020

For starters- a quick personal note-  I'd like to acknowledge just how challenging it must be to be a Bulldog student athlete during these uncertain times.  I share in your confusion and yearning for a "normal" start to our athletic year.  This time of year my house is typically filled with a buzz of school, sports and friends- all embarking on a new start. I miss that so much but I can only imagine how extra precious these moments are for our student athletes who are caught in the middle of the impacts of this pandemic.  Although much of the news below is good for many of our student athletes, there are many who are being asked to postpone a season or compete in a game that is very different than they are used to. We are keeping all of our student athletes in mind as we attempt to create the best possible experiences for them all while respecting the seriousness of Covid-19.  We will continue to let this guide all of our decisions as we proceed into this athletic year.  Go Bulldogs!

As the 2020-21 school year is set to begin soon, it seems like each day brings with it more news for our student athletes. Below is an update and some important reminders as we head into September.  All of these updates are based on DESE and MIAA mandates and will ultimately need final, local district approval.

1. HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE PRESS RELEASE- This document provides clarity around several issues of importance to CHS student athletes and families including some clarity around a fall sports start date, what traditional fall sports will begin in September vs. which ones will be postponed to a "Fall 2" season, a determination of "out of season coaching" for the months of September and October, as well as a statement regarding spectators at upcoming fall events.  Please CLICK HERE for this important press release for information on all of these items. 

2. On Friday, August 28th, the MIAA released the approved  SPORTS RULES MODIFICATIONS for the traditional fall sports.  Many of these rules modifications are significant and our student athletes will need to bring a growth mindset to practices and contests this fall as these new rules are implemented.  Please CLICK HERE to find the rules modifications. 

3. PHYSICAL EXAMS- The MIAA recently shared an update from the Mass Dept of Health with a clarification on student athlete eligibility in regards to an updated physical exam.  The DPH has decided NOT to waive any part of the existing physical exam rule for eligibility of a student athlete.  This means that in order to participate in CHS Athletics, each student athlete must provide the CHS Athletic Office with an updated physical exam.  The student athlete is eligible to participate in CHS athletics for 13 months from the date of the exam and becomes ineligible to participate on the following day.  FURTHERMORE- DPH has declared that VIRTUAL well visits are NOT acceptable for participation in high school athletics. This means that zoom/tele-medical exams will NOT be accepted. Only in-person well-visits (physical exams) will be acceptable.  As a parent who has a child who had a virtual physical with his pediatrician this spring, I realize that this is very challenging news for many families. 

4. REGISTRATION for the CHS Fall Athletics season is EXPECTED to open up on Tuesday, September 8th and run thru Friday, September 11th. This is subject to change and we will update as needed. PLEASE make sure you are prepared to meet the PHYSICAL EXAM requirements listed in #3 above. We realize this is a short window for registration but this is what the current timeline calls for. 

5. CAPTAINS PRACTICES- It has come to our attention that some of our student athletes may be participating in "Captains' Practices."  It is important to clarify that the MIAA does not allow such practices to take place.  Every high school in the state must walk this tightrope between NOT endorsing Captains' Practices and encouraging kids to get together to train and socialize in the off-season.  We are well aware that some of our students have been getting together this summer to train and prepare for upcoming seasons.  Given the social stresses brought on by the pandemic, we are happy to know that our kids are there for each other. However, it is very important that if kids are getting together to play a sport, they are doing so by choice AND that they are following state and local expectations around Covid-19 protocols. They should be socially distancing and when that is not possible, they should be wearing protective face coverings. With the new modifications released this week, it makes sense for them to begin getting used to playing with a face covering as well. 

We are very proud of our student athletes who have navigated these challenging times with the best of intentions. With a  high school season on the horizon, we ask that all of our student athletes double their efforts to ensure that they are following all safety protocols when/if they get together. 

As is always the case, please feel free to reach out to the athletic department with any questions/concerns-

ericksond@cantonma.org

781-821-5050x6

Hockomock League Releases Statement on 2020-21 Athletics

Hello Bulldogs.  Strange times for sure as our fall programs would have been beginning their journeys this week if Covid-19 hadn't changed all of that.  Although that is certainly disappointing, much is happening at the State, MIAA, Hockomock League and local level in an effort to get our 2020-21 high school athletics seasons up and running. 

Please see the press release put out by the Hockomock League Athletic Directors with important updates.  It can be found at the link below. The CHS Athletic Department will provide additional updates over the next week or so. Thanks so much for everyone's patience. 

Go 'Dogs!

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE PRESS RELEASE- 8/20/2020