High school athletics departments frustrated by PIAA’s lack of decision on winter, spring sports
Pennsylvania’s governing body over high school sports, the PIAA, has yet to make a final decision on the status of the state’s winter championships and spring sports season, and its lack of communication has begun to frustrate those who are directly affected.
It’s been nearly four weeks since the PIAA suspended boys’ and girls’ basketball and the Class 2A swimming and diving championships on March 12 due to growing concerns over the novel coronavirus. The start of the spring sports season was postponed a few days later after Gov. Tom Wolf announced a two-week school closure and shut down nonessential businesses, including gyms and workout facilities.
Since then, the school closure has been extended indefinitely, along with the start of the spring sports season, and the status of the winter sports championships remains up in the air. A PIAA board meeting on March 30 didn’t yield any answers, and as of Monday afternoon, PIAA Associate Executive Director Melissa Mertz confirmed no decision had been made either way on the fate of the two seasons.
The lack of clarity on the status of high school sports in Pennsylvania has left high school athletic departments, coaches and athletes in limbo.
“I think that a decision needs to be made soon to be fair to everyone,” Bald Eagle Area Athletic Director Doug Dyke said. “The waiting is not good for the kids and coaches. Even if it’s not good news, I think that they should know so plans can be made. I don’t envy being those that do have to make that call, but I think it’s time to make the call.”
While he also understands the complexities behind making such a decision, Penns Valley Athletic Director Nate Althouse is frustrated, as he said athletic departments haven’t been given any information or direction on how to proceed as they attempt to plan for spring.
According to Mertz, the individual PIAA board members are each communicating “as much as we can give them at this time” with the athletic directors and principals in their districts.
“Within our organization (at Penns Valley), when we don’t have new information we’re at least communicating that we don’t have a new information,” Althouse said. “The PIAA is doing it a week at a time before they’re putting anything out ... I just wish there were conversations being had about what our alternatives are as we get delays. ... There’s just no dialogue about what our options are. Either present us with some options or just cancel the season. It’s like we’re being strung along.”
Althouse pointed to what’s being done in Massachusetts, where it’s been decided that the spring sports season will start no earlier than May 4 and go until June 27.
Mertz said the PIAA has been monitoring what Massachusetts and other states have been doing, but is hesitant to make too premature of a decision as the situation with COVID-19 and the state’s response are rapidly changing.
“We’re concerned with putting something out there because we don’t want to go down the road of people ‘what-iffing’ everything and getting ahead of themselves,” she said. “That’s why we’ve been approaching this day-by-day and week-by-week. As information comes available, that’s what we put out there.”
Penns Valley Swimming and Diving is one team that has been most affected by the postponements. Some swimmers had already arrived at Bucknell University for the PIAA Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships when they were told to go home. Since then, swimmers like senior Audrey Duck have had a tough time trying to stay in shape without access to pools or gyms for a championship that may or may not happen.
As time ticks on, Althouse and Penns Valley swimming coach Steve Duck are losing hope that the winter championships will be rescheduled.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Steve Duck said. “I’ll be surprised if the spring sports even happen depending on how things go. They sort of left us hanging there. They haven’t made a decision, they keep putting it out there that it’s postponed. With the kids being out of the pool for so long, there’s really no chance for us to even continue because everybody’s going to be so out of shape not being able to practice.”
In the meantime, it doesn’t look like there will be any resolution soon, as Mertz said no deadline has been set for when a decision has to be made on the winter championships.
“We haven’t talked about a drop-dead date, if you will. (We’re) holding on that,’ she said. “Maybe in the next week or two, once the governor’s office releases just a little more information for us or the Department of Health (does), then we can maybe move toward a decision if possible.”
