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There have been changes to the Return to Play RI: Phase III youth, adult & school sports guidelines and they are overwhelmingly positive for winter athletes around the state.

The state has added sports within its three categories – Lower Risk (given a green designation), Moderate Risk (yellow) and Higher Risk (red) – and if COVID numbers don’t drastically change for the worse, it looks like most of the state’s sports will be played this school year.

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Basketball and hockey were among several sports added in the moderate risk category, meaning games can now be played provided specific guidelines, preventative measures and cleaning procedures can take place.

Individual events – like swim and track – have been deemed as lower risk, while relays in both sports as well as track events where equipment could be shared are moderate risks. There is an asterisk for those events, as well as a sport like gymnastics, baseball and softball, that says those could be considered lower risks with an appropriate cleaning of equipment and use of masks by participants.

Volleyball has also been added as a moderate risk sport. The girls season is traditionally played in the fall, but the state deemed it as a higher risk sport because it was played indoors. Additionally, there were concerns some schools wouldn’t have been able to participate in Rhode Island Interscholastic League play because of the difficulty in disinfecting a gym to prepare for practice and play, then disinfecting again so it could be used in a school setting.

Sports that didn’t receive good news were wrestling, competitive cheer and dance, which were all deemed higher risk, along with football. Boys and men’s lacrosse – very much a contact sport – is also higher risk while girls lacrosse – where contact is illegal – is a moderate risk sport.

With the RIIL fall season set to start play Friday in girls tennis and cross country with soccer and field hockey beginning the following week, the league is now beginning discussions on winter sports.

The hope is fairly simple – if COVID numbers can stay down and winter sports are playing without a hitch, it increases the chances of higher risk sports being played this school year.

There is a lot of time between now and the winter season, which isn’t set to start until December. Things could change drastically over the next couple of months, but for right now it’s a step in the right direction for any hopes other high school athletes have of playing this season.

erueb@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @EricRueb