MONTPELIER — As a measure to protect high school athletes from COVID-19, the Vermont Principals’ Association has floated a proposal to wait until the state’s public schools open in late August or early September before fall sports practices begin.
The Vermont Agency of Education and Gov. Phil Scott will make the final decision on when and if school sports get under way.
Under current COVID-19 guidelines state officials are allowing youth organizations to operate programs this summer in all but one of the sports the VPA sanctions at the varsity high school level in the fall — the exception is football.

The other VPA sanctioned fall sports are field hockey, soccer, volleyball, cross-country running, golf and bass fishing.
The sports’ preseasons typically begin weeks before school opens, this year on Aug. 10, with most championships decided no later than early November. 

VPA Associate Executive Director Bob Johnson recently went on record with WCAX-TV as saying the VPA did not want to move the championship dates, and the late start would almost certainly mean cancellation of early games on teams’ schedules. Johnson estimated athletes might complete “60 or 70%” of theiroriginal schedules.