The NJSIAA has released dates for the 2021 spring sports season. After no spring sports in 2020, the state’s governing high school authority has state playoffs on the calendar for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began


After watching the traditional state playoffs put on the back burner for the fall and winter sports seasons, the NJSIAA has released a 2021 spring sports schedule that gives athletes the chance to return to traditional postseason play. The start of the spring sports season is pushed back to an April 1st start date for practice with competition beginning on April 19th (April 9 for golf) and a post-season in June that will allow for state championship to be crowned in lacrosse, baseball and softball along with golf and boys tennis.

The NJSIAA’s newly formed “Season 3” for the winter features wrestling, girls gymnastics and girls volleyball which will overlap the beginning o fthe spring sports season. Athletes and coaches will be able to begin spring sports as soon as their Season 3 comes to an end.

“Minimizing overlap and avoiding direct conflicts between sports has always been a top priority of the Sports Advisory Task Force,” said Dave Frazier, chair of the task force. “After the loss of the spring 2020
season, we want to ensure every student-athlete has the opportunity to participate in each sport they would have during a normal year.”

The winter sports season is set to start in January with hockey beginning regular season play on January 15th and boys and girls basketball to follow on January 26th. With wrestling, gymnastics and girls volleyball set to start in March, the spring sports season will be the first opportunity to have traditional state playoffs and champions.

“Multi-sport athletes should be celebrated, and not made to choose between two sports that they love,” said Colleen Maguire, COO of the NJSIAA. “As a result of indoor practices and competition being suspended per Executive Order No. 204, some overlap between seasons is unavoidable. But based on our latest plan, student-athletes will still have the opportunity to compete during all seasons.”