PIAA stands pat for winter
For now, games can begin Friday
If the start of high school winter sports in Pennsylvania is to be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it won’t be the PIAA that does it. It will be up to Gov. Tom Wolf.
The PIAA board of directors met Wednesday afternoon and didn’t even take a public vote on whether to delay winter sports. So, right now, winter sports teams can begin games and competitions Friday as scheduled.
The PIAA board went into executive session for part of the meeting and PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said, “The board took seriously [a delay to the season] and under consideration, but the action was not to change it.”
Wolf, who announced Wednesday that he tested positive for COVID-19, said in a news conference Monday that some new mandates could be coming from his office later in the week. Lombardi said the PIAA has had no correspondence with Wolf on what those measures could be.
“The only info we’ve received is the governor tested positive and we wish him a speedy recovery,” Lombardi said. “But we have no intel that something is going to be shut down. … We have not seen any data why Jan. 1 would be better than Dec. 11, or why Jan. 15 would be better than Feb. 1.”
Lombardi said the main reason the PIAA did not delay the start of the season is because the board approved an extension of the winter sports season by about two weeks. That allows schools more time to get in games if they have to postpone contests — or if a team has to shut down for a period of time because of COVID-19 cases. The PIAA basketball championships will be March 26-28. District championships, including the WPIAL, must be finished by March 15.
In one change approved by the PIAA, only district champions will advance to the PIAA basketball and wrestling playoffs. That means a team will have to win the WPIAL to make the state playoffs, unlike past seasons.
Pennsylvania schools were allowed to start “official” winter sports practices Nov. 20. Some teams have shut down for a week or more because of COVID-19 cases. On Wednesday, the PIAA approved a rule that allows teams to still play games, if they choose, after the regular season and also if they get knocked out of the playoffs, up until the PIAA maximum for a season. The maximum for basketball is 22.
“I think the extension of the season provides every school the flexibility they may need to accommodate their needs,” Lombardi said. “If they want to go slow, they can. If they want to go moderate, they can. If they want to start the season later, they can. I think it was an excellent decision by the board to extend the season. Counting the postseason, it’s almost 16 weeks. That’s longer I think than any season we’ve ever had. And if there’s a shutdown, we can adjust.”
But when asked whether Wolf could still put a stop to winter sports, Lombardi said, “It’s been that way since August. I hope not.”
Some educators wanted to delay the start of winter sports. The Pennsylvania Principals Association sent a letter to the PIAA Wednesday morning asking that winter sports be pushed back. The letter stated that the association represents nearly 3,500 elementary and secondary principals across the state. It was signed by Jonathan Ross, president of the principals association, and also executive director Paul Healey.
But Lombardi and the PIAA received some emails later Wednesday from principals that were upset about the letter because it was not representative of the entire association. One letter from a principal to Lombardi said: “I wanted you to know that I am not sure the membership, or at least some of the membership, was even aware that letter was going to be sent. I did email the PA Principal’s Association to express my frustration.”
Lombardi said the PIAA knows some parents are critical of high schools playing indoor sports when their students have to attend classes virtually.
“We understand that,” Lombardi said. “But you can still provide an education virtually. We can’t provide sports virtually.”
Lombardi reiterated a comment he made in the summer when the PIAA was deciding whether to have fall sports: “I still think the only wrong decision would be to not at least try,” he said.
In other PIAA matters:
• The PIAA addressed an issue that has arisen concerning masks. Some schools are requiring their teams to wear masks, even in games or competitions, and will not permit their teams to play an opponent not wearing masks. The PIAA approved a recommendation that if any school does not play a regular season game because an opponent is not wearing masks, the game is declared “no contest.” But if it’s a postseason game, it will be a forfeit.
• The PIAA is not requiring officials to wear masks, but schools can require officials to wear them.
• The PIAA wrestling individual tournament has been changed. Two “super regionals” have been added to the postseason and only eight wrestlers in every Class 2A and 3A weight class will go to Hershey for the championship tournament — Class 2A on March 12 and 3A on March 13.
• If a team shuts down during the season for more than seven days, it must have two practices before again playing a competition. It needs three practices if it’s shut down for more than 10 days, and four practices if shut down for more than 14.