It was perhaps expected that the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association wouldn’t take any substantive action on winter sports during its meeting Wednesday. After all, the topic of whether to proceed with practices, which can begin on Friday, wasn’t even on the agenda.
The matter was briefly discussed, but ultimately, the PIAA opted to punt. Practices will begin this Friday, and competitions are — as of now — still scheduled to begin Dec. 11.
It’s certainly the most pragmatic approach the PIAA could’ve taken. After all, what’s the harm in at least allowing teams to start their practices so long as it’s safe?
Well, that last part is where we may start running into issues as the weeks keep coming.
It’s no secret by now that cases of the novel coronavirus are climbing back up again. Schools have been going to online-only or hybrid models in that time, and even locally, games are starting to get shifted around.
Look no further than St. Marys, who is online through Dec. 1 and can’t begin winter sports practices until then. Because of that and the PIAA’s requirement of holding 15 practices before playing in games, the Flying Dutchmen can’t compete until later in the month.
Their games with Smethport — Dec. 14 in boys basketball and Dec. 15 in girls basketball — have already been moved to February.
But, that was part of the basis the PIAA had for letting winter sports across the state get rolling. The notion is to give schools as much time as possible to get 15 practices in, because schedule changes aren’t just possible, they’re likely.
Said PIAA executive director Dr. Bob Lombardi, “It is our feeling that if a school is able, they should try to start on the first practice day and get in as many practices as possible. We’re trying to get people to set a foundation so that if they do have a hiccup (in the season), they can adjust and adapt.
“If we learned anything from the fall, it was that people who started earlier were able to handle interruptions easier than those that started late, because those who started late ran against time and didn’t have room to adjust their schedules.”
Of course, it all becomes moot if the PIAA drops the hammer on competition dates at its Dec. 9 meeting, or if the Pennsylvania Department of Health intervenes and shuts things down itself.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a press conference earlier this week that the state was not planning on making any changes regarding high school athletics, but that things could change if numbers continue to rise.
And if winter sports do get off the ground on time, they’ll certainly look a bit different this season. Levine and the DOH released a new mask mandate this week that will require athletes to wear masks even as they actively participate (unless, of course, you’re playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers or Philadelphia Eagles, reports say).
It’s unclear how exactly that will work, especially for a sport like swimming, but the PIAA reaffirmed that mandate and is seeking some clarity in the meantime.
And, of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Lombardi pointed one out in particular, Section 3A of the order, which pertains to scenarios where a mask creates an “unsafe” condition. In addition, Section 3B provides exceptions for those with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma.
How that is interpreted, however, remains up to schools. The PIAA reaffirmed the mask mandate but ruled that schools should inquire with their solicitors about potential exceptions and how they apply to sports teams.
The bottom line in all of this? We aren’t out of the woods yet, not by a long shot.
(Joel Whetzel, assistant sports editor of the Bradford Era, can be reached at jwhetzel@bradfordera.com.)
