KCSD Okays Start of CM, Bucktail Winter Sports Practices
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – The Keystone Central School District has given the go-ahead for the Central Mountain and Bucktail High School sports programs to begin their winter sports practices on Monday, Jan. 4.
That January 4 date had recently been announced by the state for resumption of school sports. Keystone Central had announced earlier this month that Jan. 4 was the provisional date for the start of practice, as the district is in online-only learning through Jan. 8 of next week. The district confirmed this week that KCSD winter sports will be able to begin practice on Jan. 4.
New Central Mountain athletic director/vice-principal Steve Hafele told therecord-online that practices will be resume on Monday and be structured with student safety as the utmost priority, noting, “We will follow and comply with all indoor gathering guidelines and mask requirements.”
The district will follow PIAA guidelines for return to competition. Since there had been no official pre-season practice (as KCSD has been in remote learning for the last two months), teams must get in 10 complete practices before any games or matches with outside opponents; five days of practice will be required for Central Mountain swimming.
Hafele said work on preparing the winter sports schedules will start on Jan. 4. The local schools would be eligible for competition, depending on when the teams get in their 10 days of practices, in the Jan. 15-18 window, Hafele said. He also noted that per the district’s health and safety plan, no spectators or non-essential staff are permitted to attend practices.
