SPORTS UPDATE: PIAA: No action on fall sports until Aug. 21.
The PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association), late this week, formally postponed the scheduled start of formal practices for the 2020 fall sports season – and most likely the start of the season itself.
Informal workouts may continue. But no official practices can begin until after the PIAA Board meets Friday, Aug. 21
The decision was announced after Gov. Tom Wolf, Aug. 6, issued what he called a ‘‘strong recommendation’’ to not hold any interscholastic or youth sports until Jan. 2, 2021.
The PIAA’s Board of Directors also asked that the Wolf Administration, as well as the state Legislature, work with the group during the next two weeks to come up with a resolution that may well preserve the fall season in some form.
“Consistent with the advice of the PIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, PIAA continues to believe it can safely sponsor fall sports,’’ the group said in a statement.
“The Board believes that the Governor’s strong recommendation to delay sports to Jan. 1, 2021, has a potential negative impact on the students’ physical, social, emotional and mental health.
‘‘These issues, along with the financial inability of many students to participate in any other form of non-school based athletic programs, affect all students directly and indirectly,” a statement reads.
The Wolf administration has said it was not issuing a mandate; however, the administration also noted that the ‘‘strong recommendation’’ was made by both the Departments of Health and Education.