As states continue to assess the developing coronavirus situation, Arkansas, Maine and Pennsylvania have all announced that they will cancel their upcoming spring prep sports seasons.
The Maine Principals’ Association cited concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and a recommendation by the Maine Commissioner of Education as reasons for Thursday deciding to cancel the entirety for the 2020 spring high school sports season.
“It is with regret that the Maine Principals’ Association announces the cancellation of the 2020 spring athletic season,” read and MPA statement that was reported by the Bangor Daily News. “Please know that this was not a decision that was taken lightly, but one that the leadership at the MPA felt necessary to help support the recommendations from our Governor’s Office, the Maine CDC, and Commissioner Makin, and the Department of Education, that schools across the state not come back in session and provide remote and distance learning opportunities for the remainder of the school year.”
Pennsylvania came to a similar conclusion today.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletics Association cancelled all remaining winter and spring sports. The news comes as governor Tom Wolf announced Thursday that Pennsylvania schools will be closed for the remainder of the year.
“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 by this decision,” PIAA executive director Dr. Robert A. Lombardi to StateCollege.com. “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.”
The Arkansas Activities Association also announced Thursday the cancellation of spring sports for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year, as well as state championships, according to the Arkansas
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Indian, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Virginia have made cancellations official already, according to La Junta Tribune-Democrat. A number of other states are still operating with contingency plans in place as the situation develops.
