The agency that oversees high school sports in New Jersey has decided that indoor fall sports will be delayed until early next year, but outdoor sports will start their seasons in about a month. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Sports Advisory Task Force released its “Return-to-Sports Plan” on Thursday.

“We're all excited because we all want to go back. We've been so used to being in our houses and like we've still been training but obviously it's been very individual and now we're just so excited to be back as a team pushing each other,” says West Essex High School field hockey defender Carly Iacullo.

The plan features condensed schedules and will keep most contests local. The plan also prohibits out-of-state competition, except for “exceptional circumstances” and states post-season play will be limited and local, with no statewide championships.

“It's just great to have something to look forward to and if every day we get the gift of being with each other then we'll take those gifts as they're given and we'll keep piling it on each other and if something changes and we have to adapt, we'll adapt again,” says West Essex coach Jill Cosse.

Only outdoor sports will be allowed to proceed. Indoor sports such as volleyball and gymnastics will be postponed until March. Outdoor sports may also be pushed back to spring if the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic changes over the next few weeks.

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“It's on us to do the right things too. I mean the onus always goes on us and the coaches and the players and we've taken every precaution imaginable,” says St. Peter’s Prep football coach Rich Hansen.

The fall season officially starts Oct. 1 Winter sports are scheduled to start in December. The plan for spring sports will be released at a later date.

The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.