PIAA moves forward with fall sports against Gov. Wolf's recommendation
Updated: Aug. 21, 2020, 5:26 p.m. |
Published: Aug. 21, 2020, 3:29 p.m.
PIAA Director Dr. Robert Lombardi testifies during a public hearing held in the Pa. Capitol Complex to discuss the PIAA classifications and championships at the on June 18, 2018. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Edward Sutelan | esutelan@pennlive.com
The PIAA is going to move ahead with fall sports despite recommendations from Gov. Tom Wolf to wait until 2021.
The PIAA Board of Directors voted on Friday to plan for the start of high school sports in the state on Aug. 24 for schools permitted to do so by a 25 to five vote. The decision comes as schools across the state continue to grapple with the decision themselves whether to partake in the upcoming season and many, including Harrisburg and Milton Hershey, have already called off the year.
"The PIAA Board of Directors has heard the thousands of voices of student-athletes, parents, coaches, officials as well as community leaders that have contacted us. We remind those individuals who have strongly advocated for athletics that they must keep strict adherence to school health and safety plans. All individuals involved in interscholastic athletic communities have a role in the health and wellness of all participants," a PIAA press release issued after the vote read.
The Board also voted to monitor school participation in fall sports "and may pursue alternate solutions, if needed," the release read.
PIAA Executive Director Robert Lombardi explained in the post-meeting media availability that if there's an area that is currently not playing sports, "we want to take a good look at possibly coming up with alternate if it's a larger area of schools," which he said could mean there might be two fall sports season with another coming later for those that could not participate in the original.
Lombardi said that based on current guidelines from the governor's office, fans and spectators are currently not allowed to attend, but that they "continue to advocate to have some spectators there, especially at least mom and dad." He noted that media will be included in the 250 allowed for outdoor sporting events, but that games inside where the limit is 25 "is going to be tough."
Fall athletics had been put on hold for two weeks while the PIAA worked to start a dialogue with Wolf's office about what would need to happen for the administration to be on board with fall sports happening in 2020. PIAA Executive Director Robert Lombardi met with representatives from the governor's office on Aug. 14, but told PennLive the position of the governor had not changed.
Wolf, when asked at a press conference on Aug. 6, said that high school sports should be put on hold until Jan. 1, 2021. He later clarified that while it is "a strong recommendation," schools can "do what you want."
The position to put sports on hold has not just been one shared by the governor. According to a survey of school principals by the Pennsylvania Principals Association, over 44% of respondents agreed that sports should be suspended until 2021. The same percentage believed that non-contact sports should be held, but contact sports like football, field hockey and volleyball should not.
Earlier in the week, the PIAA's Sports Medicine Advisory Steering Committee met and discussed the start of fall sports. The meeting minutes showed concern over the idea of starting on Jan. 1 as it is in the middle of flu season and there is "no guarantee there will be better medical circumstances, there is not medical or scientific reasons for the January 1 dates, and may cause staffing problems for athletic trainers and medical personnel."
During that SMAC meeting, there was also discussion about the risks of myocarditis in high school athletes. The minutes showed discussion over a study from the American College of Cardiologists that said it was "too early to make a judgment or statement about the impact of this disease and what populations may be susceptible to this disease."
The PIAA had previously decided to try to move ahead with the start of the season back in late July with the release of Return to Competition guidelines until the governor's announcement put those plans on hold. However, it was later revealed through emails that Wolf's office had already expressed concerns regarding the restart of sports around the time the PIAA shared the guidance with the administration.
A spokeswoman from the governor's office told PennLive on Wednesday that Lombardi had been previously made aware of Wolf's stance of a postponement of sports on July 27 despite the PIAA's executive director later saying that the answer during a press conference caught the governing body by surprise.
-- Follow Ed Sutelan on Twitter, @EdwardSutelan