The first thing Jake Harrison did when he heard the news that basketball teams in the Boston Public Schools could, finally, play again was hit the treadmill.
“I was pretty happy. I think I ran like 19 miles or something that week," he said. "I was just like, let’s try to get in shape as fast as we could for the season to get ready as much as we could.”
The senior forward on Boston Latin School's team had his hopes for a season deflated when the district indefinitely pushed back it’s Jan. 4 date to start winter sports.
In the fall, Boston schools only ran cross country and played golf — and those seasons got cut short. Now, as other districts across the state have gotten back to play under guidance from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, Boston is returning to high contact sports like basketball and hockey with rules in place for masks during games and other safety measures.
There are no fans or bus rides to and from games, and the season is shorter. It’s high school sports burdened with the realities of COVID-19.
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