The Bradford Board of Education approved the beginning of winter sports at Monday night’s meeting.

As it was in the fall, Bradford will compete in the Intermediate Unit 9 bubble, which includes schools in McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter counties.

Winter sports practices are set to begin at Bradford on Nov. 20. Games will start Dec. 11.

“We believe that’s the safest, most efficient, most logical way to proceed with high school athletics in the midst of a pandemic,” Bradford athletic director Mike Erickson said.

“I think we proved that it was at least relatively successful with the fall sports. We didn’t have any coaches or athletes test positive through the fall. We played the vast majority of our games. (We) did cancel a couple out of an abundance of caution, but with superintendents being so tight and on daily meetings with each other and with ADs staying very close contact, anything that comes up, we’re able to cancel without going through a lot of hoops.”

With this hurdle down, the school can move forward and plan for its respective winter sports as long as the season’s sports continue to move forward.

Erickson also said every school that was in the IU9 fall sports bubble is expected to be in the winter bubble as well.

As far as having spectators go, Erickson said that’s going to be dependent on where things are at with COVID-19 cases in the areas and school districts.

By the end of the fall, schools allowed the parents and family members of players from the home team to attend games. That’s the greatest extent to which Erickson could see things going as winter approaches.

“That’s still to be determined, but as of now, I certainly wouldn’t see any more (fans) than that, possibly less.”