Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic cut short one season and a year after it canceled a second, Anne Arundel County Public Schools winter sports student-athletes are on the verge of a return to a full in-person competitive campaign.
Full schedules of contests begin on Monday, December 6, with county high schools fielding teams in basketball, wrestling, indoor track, swimming, cheerleading, and bowling. Spectators will be permitted in all venues but must be masked at all times while in those venues.
“Our winter athletes have missed the most time because of the pandemic, and we are ready to welcome them back to their courts, mats, tracks, pools, and lanes,” Superintendent George Arlotto said. “We are committed to doing everything we can not just to start this season, but to fully complete it. We will need everyone’s help to do that.”
Spectators at events will be asked to comply with applicable COVID mitigation safety strategies. These include not just wearing a properly fitted mask while indoors, but maintaining good hand hygiene, avoiding large-crowd bottlenecks and standing-room only type situations at entrance and exit points, and being respectful of directions and requests from school staff who are facilitating the events.
Spectators at bowling, swimming, and indoor track events must abide by all regulations at the outside host facility in additional to all AACPS expectations. Admission tickets to swimming and bowling events will be managed at the entrance to the facility.
Indoor track tickets will be sold only online. Additionally, the Prince George’s Sports and Learning complex requires spectators to show proof of a vaccine or a negative test to be admitted. Specific information about those requirements will be provided through schools, coaches, and on www.aacps.org/athletics.
LARGE-CROWD EVENT MANAGEMENT
Separate and apart from COVID protocols, schools will be implementing online only ticketing for events where large crowds are anticipated in order to effectively manage the game site.
Information about ticketing for specific events will be communicated by the hosting school.