PIAA still plans to resume winter sports on Jan. 4
The state organization reduces practice requirements
The PIAA has reduced practice requirements as it continues to plan for high school winter sports to resume on Jan. 4.
Teams that have completed the minimum 15 preseason practices will still have to hold four practices before playing games on Jan. 8 at the earliest.
Teams that didn’t reach 15 practices are now only required to have 10 before starting games. If a team has yet to practice, the first date it can schedule a game is Jan. 15.
Executive director Dr. Robert Lombardi said following Tuesday’s Board of Directors meeting that he hopes the season won’t be delayed any further.
“We’re hopeful that it starts because it gives schools the most optimum number of days to get a winter schedule in without negatively impacting spring,” Lombardi said.
The PIAA decided on Dec. 9 that only district champions will qualify for the state tournaments and teams will be allowed to continue scheduling games through March 27. That date won’t be pushed back because doing so could interfere with spring sports, which were canceled last season.
Exeter and Oley Valley are among the Berks schools that have announced their revised winter schedules. Both are planning to play basketball games from Jan. 8 through Feb. 18, and both still have non-league games on the docket.
All of this is subject to change if Gov. Tom Wolf extends the restrictions on youth sports that he imposed on Dec. 10, the day before basketball was expected to tip off. Philadelphia has already extended those restrictions through Jan. 15.
Lombardi didn’t want to speculate on the likelihood that winter sports will resume as scheduled.
“We’re taking the information we’ve received at their word,” Lombardi said. “They’ve used their best judgment to come up with that date. We’re going to work off that date as an anchor. If by chance it moves or becomes fluid … if we need to adjust it, we will.”
Three boys and four girls basketball teams played on Dec. 11, the day before the restrictions went into effect. The rest of the Berks League has yet to play a game.
The PIAA passed a proposal to postpone the team wrestling championships indefinitely because of the delayed start to the season. They will be held after the individual tournament that is scheduled for March 5-8. Shortening the swimming championships to two days is under consideration.
Lombardi said the PIAA is committed to having a winter sports season like the one held in the fall. The next Board of Directors meeting is Jan. 6.
“I think the only mistake we could have made is if we didn’t try,” Lombardi said. “We tried and we were successful through the fall. We want to try in the winter.
Student-athletes deserve the full athletic and academic experience of the school day.”
For now, that means athletes will be back in action early next month.