As PA Pauses Winter Sports, Parent Groups Push Back

PENNSYLVANIA — The latest coronavirus mitigation measures in Pennsylvania have seen the state put a pause on all high school and youth sports until after the New Year, drawing sharp criticism from some parents groups who say the closures are unfair to student-athletes. Elsewhere, sports leagues and school districts have expressed frustration, but optimism that they will persevere.

The decision comes hours before the PIAA winter sports season was set to formally begin on Friday, despite strong recommendations from school groups like the Pennsylvania Principals Association that it be delayed.

“We know that COVID-19 thrives in places where people gather together,” Gov. Wolf said. “Therefore, these mitigation measures target high-risk environments and activities and aim to reduce the spread of this devastating virus.”

RELATED: PA Announces New COVID Restrictions Through Early 2021

The PIAA said on Friday that they hoped the move would successfully mitigate the virus and allow for the season to resume in January.

“PIAA is committed to maximizing the athletic opportunities for all student-athletes across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Frank Majikes, the president of the PIAA, said in a statement. "The Board will continue to meet and monitor this ever-changing pandemic and its implications on schools and their communities."

The group added that they would continue to review suggestions from "various professional education groups" which are represented on their board of directors.

Winter sports always faced a tougher road to execute a 2020-21 season of some approximate normalcy amid the pandemic. The virus obviously transmits more easily indoors, and there is less room to socially distance, so it was always likely this winter would see restrictions on indoor gatherings of all kinds.

Teams and athletic departments around the area shared their disappointment.

Exeter Township High School's basketball program shared photographs of their senior athletes ahead of a game on Friday night, which is allowed to take place before the shutdown order goes into effect.

"Praying all seniors in the county get to play what they love to do," the team shared on social media.

"Today was a setback in a year that seems determined to deliver more than its share," the Pennsbury girls basketball team said, but ended on an optimistic note by including a link to an inspirational film about the team created by one of their players.

For the Lansdale Catholic girls basketball program, the order represents just one more challenge for athletes accustomed to clearing hurdles.

"Resilience...the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Sports teaches us many things. The sudden end of last season and the delay of this season has taught us resilience. Be thankful you are here for the lesson."

The relationship between the state officials and the PIAA has been discordant since the summer, when Gov. Wolf and health officials urged the PIAA not to hold a fall season. The guidance was not an order, and PIAA went ahead with the season in defiance of the governor's office.

Parent groups like Let Them Play PA, which mobilized over the summer and organized protests in Harrisburg in advocacy of a fall sports season, have reiterated many of the same complaints from months ago. Chiefly, they see inconsistency in allowing businesses to remain open and permitting adult athletic events, while youth sports are restricted.

"Thank you Governor Wolf for taking away one of the only things my child enjoys right now. I guess we can go to Walmart, the mall, or Target now since he isn’t able to exercise because it causes COVID," one mother shared in the Facebook group for Let Them Play PA, which has 21,000 members.

The groups have also found allies in Republican state legislators opposed to the new measures, who have pushed back on criticisms that they are anti-science.

"It is possible to take this public health threat seriously and still believe that the governor’s inconsistent restrictions go too far," State Sen. Scott Martin said in a statement.

The guidance issued from the state on Thursday indicates that "the surge in cases among school-age children increases the risk that asymptomatic participants will spread the virus at a game or practice, in the locker room, while traveling to and from events, or at team meals, parties or other gatherings."

Meanwhile, professional and collegiate sports are allowed to continue in the state, so long as they follow official guidance. Some in Pennsylvania, however, have already decided to forego the winter season.

The Lancaster-based Centennial Conference, which includes schools like Haverford, Gettysburg, and Ursinus, has cancelled all winter sports competitions and championships.

"Extensive strategies were evaluated," the league said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "Ultimately, a number of factors impacted this decision, including the rising number of COVID-19 cases across the country, the shift of spring academic calendars to a later start, campus policies regarding travel, group size and visitors to campus, and the ability to meet recommended NCAA testing guidelines."

Many individual school districts and colleges have issued similar announcements.

Though the PIAA "pause" is in effect until Jan. 4, the earliest competition cannot be held until Jan. 8, as the PIAA requires a minimum of four days of practices after more than 14 days off.