The health of our students, faculty and staff is Blair’s highest priority, and limiting our community members’ exposure to others is critical to our plans to stay safe and on campus this fall. That’s why, out of an abundance of caution, Blair, along with all five other schools in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), has decided to cancel the fall 2020 MAPL season. 

In keeping with recent New Jersey guidelines recommending interscholastic competition be limited to a school’s existing league or conference, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s prohibition of competitions with out-of-state schools, and our own current campus protocols, Blair does not at this time plan on participating in interscholastic athletic competition for the fall 2020 semester.   

Although we are not returning to “full play” this fall, we remain committed to offering a wide range of athletic and exercise options for our student-athletes. These activities will further our mission of promoting good physical, mental and emotional health and cultivate skills that will help students become community-minded leaders. Our fall teams will still practice while maintaining appropriate physical distance from others, and our coaches will emphasize skill training, team-building and conditioning. 

We are also exploring opportunities to partner with MAPL schools, including Peddie, to introduce virtual opportunities for spirited competition and community building. That may look different for every sport and coaches from each of the six schools will work closely with their MAPL counterparts and their own athletics departments to create the most robust and engaging offerings possible. Some coaches have already expressed interest in creating a “skills challenge” that allows athletes to push themselves and compete weekly against students at other MAPL schools, likely during the month of October.

Given the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to closely monitor all public health and government guidance and the situation on and around our campus. We certainly hope that as the fall progresses, conditions will allow Blair to introduce intramural and intrasquad competitions, and we will remain open to considering limited opportunities for competition with area schools if guidelines change and it is safe and appropriate to do so. The MAPL schools are also discussing the possibility of holding an abbreviated fall season later in the year and will reconvene this fall to make decisions about competition during the winter or spring seasons. 

We deeply appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we navigate this unprecedented situation in a way that keeps everyone safe and well. I will be back in touch with any updates as the situation continues to evolve and change.