The recently formed COVID-19 Sports Advisory Task Force is made up of athletic directors from across New Jersey who will help manage the safe return of high school sports to the state.
The task force, created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletics Association, will consider a wide range of sports-specific proposals and recommendations, focusing on implementing, executing and enforcing potential modifications.
The NJSIAA announced the formation of its new task force a week after the creation of its COVID-19 Medical Advisory Task Force, which will identify and implement both general and sports-specific modifications.
These two task forces will work independently but communicate regularly and provide ongoing counsel to each other. Both will make recommendations to NJSIAA leadership, which will then work within governmental and National Federation of High School Sport guidelines to manage the safe return of high school sports in New Jersey.
The Sports Advisory Task Force will be chaired by Rutherford High School athletic director and former NJSIAA president Dave Frazier. It will also include Denis Nelson, River Dell High School athletic director; Kevin Murphy, Washington Township High School athletic director; Ryan Miller, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School athletic director; Vito Chiaravalloti, Christian Brothers Academy athletic director; Dan Uszaki, Northern Burlington Regional High School athletic director; and Todd Ricker, Parsippany Hills High School athletic director.
“More than anyone else, athletic directors want to see a safe return to high school sports,” Frazier said in a press release. “But, we also clearly understand the significant challenges ahead. I’m confident we’ll make tremendous progress, and optimistic that we’ll see kids playing again before too long. But, it’s essential to manage expectations and prepare our students-athletes – as well as those who cheer them on – for the short-term changes that may be necessary.”
Tom Mullahey, Clifton High School athletic director, will serve as the NJSIAA Executive Committee liaison, and Colleen Maguire, NJSIAA director of Finance and Administration, will serve as the NJSIAA liaison.
“Input from our peers will be essential as we try to navigate the various guidelines, the needs of our members schools and the concerns of our student athletes,” Mullahey said in a press release.
The NJSIAA was established in 1918 and is a voluntary, non-profit organization comprised of 436 accredited public, private and parochial high schools. A member of the National Federation of State High School Associations, the NJSIAA conducts tournaments and crowns champions in 32 sports.
Nottingham High School teammates surround Bryce Fremgen (with batting helmet) who scores in the second inning on a single combined with two errors by Ocean Township High School in the NJSIAA/Wilson Sporting Goods Central Jersey, Group 3 title game at Ocean in Oakhurst on Friday, June 3, 2016. The North Stars won the game 8-5 to claim their first ever baseball sectional title. Photo by Martin Griff.,
