Moving Forward
PIAA proceeding with fall sports plan as scheduled; still hurdles to clear
The PIAA made clear Wednesday it plans to move forward with the start of high school sports this fall but there still may be a hurdle to clear before the first ball is kicked or club is swung.
While the state’s scholastic sports governing body has multiple layers of plans in place to move forward, Pennsylvania health or education officials, or Gov. Tom Wolf, could still shut down sports across the state if data proves it is not safe to continue due to COVID-19 concerns.
“If they make a determination for schools not to play, then we’ll adhere to that,” said PIAA executive director Dr. Robert Lombardi following a virtual meeting by the Board of Control.
“The sense we’re getting (from state health officials) is they feel that this is a school district decision at this time, that if they’re providing a safe environment they can continue.”
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine declined Tuesday to jump on board with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Sports Medicine Advisory Steering Committee’s recommendation to play.
“We’re going to be looking at all of those different pieces of data, not only in terms of return to school, but also in terms of sports,” Levine said. “All of that is being considered. We want to make sure that we have the best data before those decisions are made.”
Lombardi believes the numbers, and the extensive health measures that have been put in place, indicate it is safe to move ahead.
“We feel it is vitally important to give our student-athletes every opportunity we can (for them) to be student-athletes,” he said. “We are advocates for that. This other part of education, educational-based athletics, are vital to the growth, the health, the development and the involvement of student-athletes and their ultimate success. We’re trying our darnedest.”
The fall season is set for many changes.
At this point, Lombardi said, games will be played without spectators, in accordance to guidelines established by the Department of Education.
The postseason will be shortened, with all sports to be completed by Thanksgiving.
That means district football tournaments will be truncated. For safety, the fields for the PIAA golf and cross country championships will be reduced.
Lombardi said there’s a desire to wrap up the season before flu season hits.
The PIAA will allow for alternate start dates. Football heat acclimatization practices begin Aug. 10, with all other sports beginning practice Aug. 17. Contests begin Aug. 20 for golf, Aug. 24 for tennis, Aug. 28 for football and Sept. 4 for soccer, field hockey, girls volleyball, cross country and water polo.
Under the alternative plans schools may choose to begin contests Sept. 14, with the football opener on Sept. 18, provided each sport (other than golf and tennis) maintains the standard three-week preseason.
Under a hybrid start plan, sports can begin as late as Oct. 5. Schools will be permitted to play past the start of district playoffs, provided they do not qualify for the postseason.
The Board adopted a recommendation by the PIAA medical advisory committee that if one player on a team tests positive for COVID-19 the entire team will be quarantined for 14 days.
If a team can not play during the regular season due to a positive test, the contest can be rescheduled, or be considered “no contest.” A forfeit would not be awarded.
In the postseason a team that can not play will forfeit its spot in the tournament.
The Board approved recommendations by the Football Steering Committee to allow players to wear face shields and suggested reduced travel rosters and a reduction of huddles.
The Coaches Advisory Committee recommended that schools which go to all-virtual learning — meaning no classes in school — could continue to play sports. It was noted that this would be consistent with allowing cyber school students to participate in extracurricular activities.
“The PIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee believes that strict adherence by schools and teams to their school-adopted plans, and the Governor’s School Sports Guidance, should provide a reasonably safe environment for student-athletes to participate,” a PIAA release stated.
While some feel there are too many potential pitfalls in attempting a season, Lombardi expressed an alternative view.
“The biggest what if is this: What if we don’t try?” he said. “If we don’t try to get something out of the season for students, I think we’re failing them. We need to do our darnedest to help them become successful.”
Despite more than 20 states delaying fall sports or pushing the season back to the spring, according to MaxPreps, and the PSAC, MAC, Centennial Conference, Ivy League and Patriot League also canceling fall sports, Pennsylvania will press on.
Some of the state’s neighbors — including New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia and New York — will begin the season several weeks later. Virginia announced previously football would begin March 1, and New York has already canceled state championships. Ohio may delay its fall season in the coming days. Delaware will likely decide fall sports’ fate Aug. 13. Only Maryland’s public school association appears to be moving forward without significant delays or the prospect of such at this time.