Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/9/20
From Press Release
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) today announced the cancellation of the spring sports season.
The move follows the decision today by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to close schools for the remainder of the academic year, in favor of remote learning.
“Today’s decision by the PIAA Board of Directors was difficult for everyone,” PIAA’s executive director, Dr. Robert Lombardi, wrote in a news release announcing the cancellation. “(The directors’) thoughts remain on the thousands of student-athletes, coaches, officials and family members affected by this decision.
“However, the Board’s position reflects the 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.”
Spring athletic activities were halted in conjunction with the governor’s initial decision to close schools last month.
Girls’ lacrosse, boys’ lacrosse, baseball, softball, boys’ tennis, boys’ volleyball, and track and field seasons have been wiped out in Pennsylvania.
The PIAA has a held championships for boys’ and girls’ lacrosse since 2009. District 1 also has held girls’ championships since 1976.
“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,” Lombardi wrote. “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.”