Good Morning,
On Monday, April 8, 2024, Massachusetts will be experiencing a solar eclipse from 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM. You may already be aware of the danger of looking at the sun during the eclipse. Outdoor activity, practices and games should be approached with extreme caution as unavoidable exposure to the harmful intensity could happen accidentally with extreme harm to athletes.
For example, Major League Baseball teams have recently adjusted their start times later, after the eclipse, for the safety of their players. On behalf of the sports medicine committee, we suggest avoiding competition and practice during the time of the eclipse for all athletes. Inadvertent exposure is a very high risk during the eclipse time.
Additional resources from MA DESE are below or at this link.
On behalf of the entire MIAA Sports Medicine Committee, we suggest you use extreme caution on April 8 and have a great spring season,
Professionally yours,
Dr. John Jardine, Chair
Dr. Lee Mancini, Vice-Chair
MIAA Sports Medicine Committee
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Educational and Informational Resources for the April 8, 2024 Eclipse
The eclipse may overlap with dismissal for many Massachusetts schools. We recommend preparing students to safely experience the eclipse. Please instruct students not to look directly at the eclipse without proper eye protection.
Visit NASA's website for a comprehensive information about the eclipse.
The NASA website and NSTA website contain multiple lesson plans and resources for educators.
NSTA's website contains a document with relevant information for school administrators.
This video from the Fiske Planetarium contains information for administrators about student safety during the eclipse.
There are many cultural stories surrounding eclipses. The Exploratorium website contains information about various cultural eclipse narratives and histories.
Free eclipse glasses may be available through your local library and the Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries program.