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Student-Athletes Anxious For Winter Sports After CHSAA Gets COVID Variance

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - High school athletes around Colorado are rejoicing in the news the Colorado High School Activities Association was granted a variance from the state allowing six winter sports and competitions to take place.

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(credit: CHSAA)

"My hopes had kind of gone down, and I expected us to not have a season anymore, and I had accepted it," said Brynn Bowman a freshman at Arapahoe High School. "I think everyone is pretty excited to have the opportunity to swim."

On Monday, CHSAA said ice hockey, skiing, girls swimming, wrestling, basketball, and competitive spirit can start practicing Jan. 18 and competing on Jan. 25.

"There was no football games, no anything to go to so I'm just excited to get that high school experience that everybody talks about," Bowman said.

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(credit: CHSAA)

The variance was important because state health regulations limited indoor gatherings, prohibiting full teams from practicing or playing games with coaches and other staff in the same building.

"Even a Nordic skiing race wouldn't happen with the current red level dials that a majority of our state are in," said CHSAA Commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green. "We're now allowed to have 12 kids on our roster for basketball, and we're allowed to have 20 for ice hockey."

CHSAA is planning to share more information for coaches and athletic directors on Jan. 4.

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(credit: CHSAA)

"Sports is such a big part of Denver Christian and especially the student body and how we support each other. I'm just excited to get back in the gym with my teammates," said Denver Christian High School sophomore Courtney Johnson. "I just hoping we can be with each other, and we don't have to quarantine and just hoping we can have a good season and a healthy season."

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