Schools Shuttered; Sports Seasons Canceled

Wednesday morning, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania schools would remain closed through the end of the current academic year. They had previously been closed by the governor through April 30th. High school winter championships (basketball and Class 2A Swimming & Diving) were suspended and all spring sports barred from activities under the shutdown. Wednesday afternoon, hopes of completing those championships and playing any part of the spring seasons were dashed when PIAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Lombardi announced the cancellation.  “Today’s decision by the PIAA Board of Directors was difficult for everyone. Their thoughts remain on the thousands of student-athletes, coaches, officials and family members affected bythis decision,” Lombardi in a press release. “However, the Board’s position reflects a steadfast priority of keeping our student-athletes, officials and member schools’ staffs and their communities safe, while following the guidelines provided by the Governor, the Department of Health and the Department of Education. We had maintained hope for a continuation of our Winter Championships and an abbreviated Spring season to help bring a sense of normalcy to our communities,” continued Lombardi. “As we navigate through this difficult time we need to remember the lessons that interscholastic athletics has taught us: cooperation, patience, sacrifice, responsibility, respect and perseverance.”