Pittsburgh Public Schools recommends postponing all fall sports following Gov. Wolf’s guidance

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Public Schools announced they are recommending the postponement of all fall sports.

This is following Gov. Tom Wolf’s comment that was made at the end of a news conference Thursday morning ,during which he and other officials addressed expanding COVID-19 testing in the state.

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Wolf recommended that no sports should be played until 2021. On Monday, Wolf said what happens in school should be consistent with what happens on the playing fields.

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“In other words, if the school is going completely virtual, seems hard to justify having in-person contact sports being played in the fall,” Wolf said.

According to a release from PPS, this is just a recommendation that the school board will vote on. That vote is expected to happen on Aug. 26.

You can read the full statement from PPS below:

Following a decision that all Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) students will begin the first nine weeks of school online and recent comments by Governor Tom Wolf related to school sports, the District is recommending the postponement of fall sports for the 2020-2021 school year. The Board is anticipated to vote on the recommendation at its August 26, Legislative Meeting.

“While we understand the valuable role strong athletic programs contribute to our overall student experience, our number one priority is student and staff safety,” said Superintendent Anthony Hamlet. “We are confident the postponement of fall sports is the best decision, but we understand that this is disappointing news for some of our students and staff. We are exploring the possibilities of an alternative schedule if and when students return for an in-school blended model.”

The PIAA has offered districts the flexibility to begin contests after the first official contest date for each sport. As part of an alternative schedule, competition for fall sports is advised to begin no later than Monday, October 5. Competitions can be later with a request to the respective District Committee.

Fall sports in PPS impacted by the potential suspension include Football, Cheerleading, Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Tennis, Girls’ Volleyball, Cross Country, Golf and Field Hockey. The postponement will additionally affect marching band and band camps.

“We are working closely with the PPS Health Services Department to develop a process to support the completion of athletic physicals so that students are ready to play whenever sports return during the school year,” said Karen Arnold, Director of Athletics.

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