Dear Winter Sport Families,

Today is an exciting day for all of us in Educational Athletics, as we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.  During a press conference today, Governor Whitmer and the MDHHS Staff gave the green light to start the remaining Winter sports of Basketball, Competitive Cheer, Ice Hockey, and Wrestling.  Restrictions and protocols remain in place with required masks and/or potential testing regiments similar to those done by the sports of Football, Volleyball and Girls Swim in January.  The updated guidance regarding testing and mask wearing procedures will not be available until Sunday, February 7th.  

Over the next few days, I will be working with Athletic Administrators from our league and state as well as the FAPS coaching staff to finalize schedules and get our athletes ready to play safely and quickly.  
This afternoon, the MHSAA released information regarding the initial guidance (subject to be amended) for testing and mask wearing.  Additionally the dates when games may begin (subject to individual school approval) as well as the MHSAA Tournament dates were published.  This information is posted at https://www.mhsaa.com/Portals/0/Documents/AD%20Forms/MHSAA%20Guidance%2022.pdf

Regarding spectators, we know at this point there will be restrictions on the number of spectators at contests, with 2 spectators per athlete being suggested during the press conference today.  Additionally, spectators will be required to provide their name and phone number at venues for contact tracing purposes as is directed in the new MDHHS Order.  

The full MDHHS Order can be found at https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98178_98455-533660--,00.html

I am thrilled that we are getting this opportunity to get back to full competition and look forward to watching our student athletes showcase all of their hard work.  Please remember to stay vigilant in your pursuit of playing by following the Covid-19 guidelines, including wearing a mask properly over your nose and mouth, washing your hands regularly, avoiding large gatherings, and social distancing when possible.   There is still the risk of spreading Covid-19 and by each of us doing our part to best mitigate the possibility of a spread, we collectively increase the chances for our teams to complete their seasons.  I know that sometimes the chips don't fall in our favor, but we need to do everything we can to increase our odds and I am confident that our collective sports families will do so.  

Thank you for your continued support of Fenton Athletics! 

Yours in Educational Athletics,
 Michael Bakker, CMAA