Winter sports are kicking off, but they’ll be looking much different due to the increasing cases of COVID-19. Here’s a look into what is expected of winter sports. 

The boys basketball basketball team was set to start its season Saturday in a scrimmage against Marian, but sadly that scrimmage was cancelled due to COVID-19. This threatens to become the new normal for the winter sports of swimming, basketball, hockey, wrestling and cheerleading. 

The hockey team has already been playing for a month at the Ice Box. To start the season all fans were allowed into the games until the Ice Box hit a certain capacity. However, the rule has changed as only one parent is allowed to go to the game. Hockey has already had four games cancelled with eleven games played. 

The swim team is taking COVID-19 precautions a whole step further by not allowing spectators at all. This is not true for all of the swim meets as protocols depend on where the swim meet is taking place. Some of their meets do and will allow spectators, but the only spectators allowed are parents. 

The wrestling team has been struggling to schedule the annual larger tournaments they attend. All of their larger tournaments have already been cancelled, leaving only smaller matches left to play. Only parents are allowed to attend wrestling matches as of now. 

The boys and girls basketball season still has some hope for students to be able to attend games. With basketball also comes the winter cheerleading season. Saint Joe is selling a limited number of tickets with the family of players being the first priority. After that, student tickets may be available, but according to Saint Joe’s athletic director Deb Brown, student tickets are very unlikely. However, these rules only apply to Saint Joe home games as the away games will change depending on the location. For example, Marian is allowing visiting teams to bring 50 people only being parents. The South Bend schools are allowing 2 tickets per rostered player, and the tickets must be given to people within their household. Larger schools such as Penn and Elkhart may be allowing a larger capacity, and potentially students due to the larger gyms. 

With winter sports having minor differences in COVID-19 protocols, here’s what we expect: sports having a capacity limited to only parents, and the possibility of multiple games getting canceled throughout the season. And unfortunately that the protocols put in place are likely to change over the course of the season.