Information regarding the return of in-person programming for MCPS Athletics is available on the COVID-19 Athletics Information webpage. In-person activities will be offered to the extent possible.  Competitive seasons and calendars will operate consistent with the designated seasons established by the MPSSAA.

Second Semester Overview

An overview of second semester operations for MCPS Athletics is provided in the Second Semester Return to R.A.I.S.E. Plan. The plan outlines the calendar and timeline for each season. Detailed information regarding the spring season and winter sports will be provided later in the semester.

Return to R.A.I.S.E. Strategic Plan

Procedures and protocols regarding the safe return of in-person activities are outlined in the Return to R.A.I.S.E. Strategic Plan.  The plan aligns with the guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA), and Montgomery County, including the following:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Considerations for Youth Sports. These considerations include school-based open conditioning, exercise, weight training, non-sport specific student gatherings, in-season team-based practices, and full competition from teams from the same geographic area.
• Guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) that is outlined in the MPSSAA Roadmap for Return to Interscholastic Athletics.
• Montgomery County Guidelines for the safe return of sports.

Guidelines and procedures will be revised as needed, as guidelines change.

To the extent possible, activities will incrementally return and include conditioning/training, skills-based activities, and in-season team-based practices and competition, beginning with schools in the same geographic region.

Guiding Principles

As MCPS Athletics continues the implementation of the Return to R.A.I.S.E. Strategic Plan, the following guiding principles will drive operations.  The guiding principles incorporate the R.A.I.S.E. core values of MCPS Athletics.  MCPS Athletics is committed to:

• Promoting our core values of equity and access to allow for the participation for ALL students.
• Ensuring the gradual, safe return of student-athletes to in-person participation in interscholastic athletic activities, when health metrics allow.
• Maximizing participation opportunities, including the timely implementation and incremental transition to new phases, in alignment with MCPS operations.
• Providing ongoing communication regarding the current operations of the MCPS Athletics program, in alignment with state and local guidelines, considerations, and recommendations.
• MCPS will implement and continue in-person opportunities per the approved recommendations of the COVID-19 Task Force for MCPS Athletics for the remainder of the 2020–2021 school year. Any program updates will be communicated as soon as they become available.

Extracurricular Activities

The return to in-person extracurricular activities may begin in April for some activities where students are able to follow all appropriate COVID safety protocols. This delayed return to in-person extracurricular activities is similar to the approach schools use at the beginning of a traditional school year where students and staff are able to establish school routines before adding the beyond the bell experiences.

Guidance for the safe return to operating in-person extracurricular activities include: arrival and departure procedures, proper management of materials, and accommodations needed to ensure the safety of students and staff. These guidelines and procedures will be revised as needed, as health metrics and/or MCPS operations change.