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Four Philadelphia Area Private Schools to Go Forward With Fall Sports
Holy Ghost Prep, Devon Prep, La Salle and Saint Joseph’s to compete in a fall sports schedule
The three members of the Philadelphia Catholic League who are not part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; Devon Prep, La Salle College High School, and St. Joseph’s Prep — agreed to play a modified fall 2020 Catholic League schedule and will include non-league competition with fellow all-boys independent Catholic school Holy Ghost Prep.
All four schools intend to compete against one another in cross country, golf and soccer. Both La Salle and St. Joe’s are still strongly committed to finding opportunities to play football this fall.
With no guarantee that fall sports could be held in the spring, the decision to hold even an abbreviated season was important to the schools’ administrators, citing three major factors:
- As part of the ideal of caring for the whole person, the four schools recognize that physical activity, specifically athletics, are vital for a student’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. With a little over 2,600 boys enrolled at the four schools and nearly 2,000 students participating in athletics, these programs extend beyond the playing field and provide a critical role in each school’s community by having a direct effect on other extracurricular clubs and activities such as music and student-run broadcasts and publications.
- This might be the final season for many students to represent their schools, earn a varsity letter, have a Senior Day celebration, and be a part of a competitive team. As we witnessed last spring, many senior athletes were unable to have their final seasons. We have made the decision this fall to try and play in order to not have that happen again. Also, for some seniors, these games are a final opportunity to earn much-needed athletic scholarships that could impact their college options.
- All four schools are committed to affording their student-athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level and, as such, are members of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) which has announced that it is continuing to sponsor sports in the fall. Although the Archdiocese of Philadelphia felt confident that the PIAA would “provide alternative solutions for those entities opting out of fall programs” there is no indication that the PIAA would modify state championships for the fall season.
Brother James Butler, FSC, President of La Salle College High School, issued the following statement.
“The four independent Catholic secondary schools for young men belonging to the PIAA have a long relationship with each other, a friendly rivalry that makes each school better and more competitive. We share a mutual belief that we are able to train and practice safely with many of our athletic teams and in conformity with the guidance we have received to date. We hope to be able to provide our fall athletes with opportunities to compete both among ourselves and with other schools that have availability in their schedules. The safety of the students entrusted to our care is an essential concern; so is their development as individual persons and a community. We have committed to work prudently and energetically together in support of both those common goals.”
SOL To Start Fall Sports
Suburban One officials voted Friday to begin the fall season effective on Monday, August 31.
Practices will begin on that day for all sports other than football. The vote to approve was 21-1 with Truman and Springfield abstaining. The ‘No’ vote came from Cheltenham which had already previously announced to would not offer sports this fall. In addition, Plymouth Whitemarsh declared it would not offer football this fall although it would offer all other sports.
The first matches for golf will be held September 3 and for girls’ tennis on September 8.
All other sports except football (soccer, cross country, girls, volleyball, field hockey, and water polo) can begin competition on September 21.
The football schedule will begin on September 14 with a week of heat acclimation followed by the beginning of full practices on September 21. The first game date for football will be Friday, October 2.
League officials are working and developing revised game schedules.
Two other District One leagues, the Ches Mont League and the Central League, announced on Friday they would not offer sports this fall
InterAc Puts Sports on Hold
The Inter-Academic Athletics League is the latest entity to put interscholastic sports on hold. The league posted a statement on its web site Wednesday morning which read in part.
Athletics engagement is an important part of the experience for many of our students, and member institutions remain committed to this experience. However, the Heads of School and Directors of Athletics have unanimously decided to suspend any inter-scholastic competition through December 31, 2020. This decision was made given the unprecedented health concerns we face in our community and in consideration with Gov. Wolf’s strong recommendation, as well as updated policy recommendations from CHOP PolicyLab.
Additionally, member schools may maintain conditioning, skill development and sport practices from September 14 through November 20 in accordance with Gov. Wolf’s guidelines and CHOP PolicyLab requirements.
Should conditions permit, the League intends to hold three 7 week seasons for our student-athletes in the new year. Traditional fall, winter and spring sports may be moved due to health concerns, facility availability or weather conditions. Additional information regarding these seasons will be available shortly.
The Inter-Academic Athletic League members are deeply aware of the importance of athletics to our student-athletes and communities. This difficult decision was not made lightly, and every effort was made to maintain our fall athletic season. We are deeply saddened that this was not possible.
The InterAc roster of schools includes: Episcopal Academy, Germantown Academy, Haverford School, Penn Charter, Malvern Prep, Springside-Chestnut Hill, Agnes Irwin, Baldwin, and Notre Dame,
Archdiocese of Philadelphia Says No to Fall Sports
The Philadelphia Catholic League and its 17 member schools will not conduct fall sports in 2020.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted a letter on the Catholic League sports web site on Monday. The letter was sent by Sister Maureen Lawrence McDermott, I.H.M. Ph.D., Superintendent for Secondary Schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Irene Horstmann Hannan, Chief Executive Officer of Faith in the Future.
The text of that letter follows
Since the emergence of the coronavirus as a national health emergency last spring, we have worked diligently to maintain the health and safety of each member of every school community while continuing to provide an educational product of unparalleled excellence.
As the landscape of the pandemic has shifted over time, we have taken steps to meet continued challenges and communicated with you regularly regarding essential decisions. Our commitment to school safety and clear communication is steadfast.
As you are likely aware, the PIAA shared a public announcement last Friday afternoon that its board voted to permit fall sporting competitions to take place in high schools around the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at the discretion of the local school entity.
In the case of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the local entity consists of all 17 high schools in the five-county region as a unified body. In reality, we are a system of secondary schools and the Department of Education in Harrisburg views us a school district spanning multiple counties.
Our system operates under the jurisdiction of the Office of Catholic Education and Faith in the Future. As such, senior leadership from both FIF and OCE have carefully deliberated PIAA’s announcement through the lens of the principles that have always shaped our response to the pandemic—preserving health and safety, following guidelines established by the governor, Department of Health and Department of Education, and maintaining a consistent system-wide approach to decision making.
After much careful thought, consultation, and prayer a decision has been reached that all of our high schools will opt out of participation in interscholastic competition for the fall 2020 season. We recognize that this news is disappointing to many of our students, families and coaches, particularly our seniors. It saddens us greatly as well. We recognize the value of athletics as part of our educational philosophy that seeks to provide for the holistic formation of young men and women of character. This is not the scenario any of us desired.
We are confident that PIAA will seek to provide alternative solutions for those entities opting out of fall programs in the coming semester. The pandemic has made every aspect of life unpredictable for all of us over the past several months. As we continue to live in a time of uncertainty, it would be imprudent to speculate regarding an exact time when competitions will resume or regarding the status of spring semester athletics. In keeping with our commitment, we will share timely information with you about developments and decisions affecting our schools.
Schools that have individual fees for athletics will delay them until later in the year. In some schools, there is one combined fee instead of separate athletics, so in those cases the fees remained unchanged. However, in the event, we are forced to cancel any athletic programs; we will prorate all applicable fees.
Please know that we share your disappointment regarding the current status of fall sports programs. It is our hope that your disappointment will be tempered by an understanding that we have an obligation to protect all those entrusted to our care. Athletics could not be treated separately and it fell to us to make this decision in a manner consistent with everything else done to this time. Given the nature of athletic competition and the manner in which COVID-19 is transmitted, there is currently no way for us to reasonably provide for the health and safety of student-athletes as well as those with whom they come into contact.
We are grateful to Governor Wolf and the Departments of Health and Education for their sound guidance to school districts throughout the Commonwealth and look forward to working with PIAA regarding possible solutions as we move forward. Our greatest degree of gratitude goes to our students, parents, coaches, teachers, staff, and administrators for their continued trust and dedication to the gift of Catholic education.
The Philadelphia Public League had previously announced it would not conduct sports through the end of 2020. The Del Val League in District One has announced it will not conduct fall sports this fall.
The Friends School League, which is not PIAA affiliated has also called off its fall sports season.
What Comes Next???
Now that the PIAA has authorized the start of high-school sports in Pennsylvania, it’s up to individual schools and school districts to decide how to proceed.
Some school districts have already opted out of a fall season, notably Cheltenham, Norristown, and Pottstown. Others may elect to conduct gall sports next spring; the PIAA decision allows for that.
For those that do elect to go forward this fall there will be a multitude of adjustments large and small to minimize the risk to student-athletes. I purposely used the word minimize because no one can assure with 100 percent certainty that students will be safe. Each institution will have to make a decision based on its own circumstances. But things will certainly be different in the short term and perhaps long term as well. What follows are our thoughts about what schedules might look like. Keep in mind that the goal is, or should be, to provide a maximum number of competitive opportunities while minimizing the risks to students. We’re focusing for the most part on football, although the same issues will impact other sports
• Scheduling
Suburban One administrators are scheduled to meet next Friday, August 28 to finalize what schools will go forward with what sports. Regardless of the outcome, expect schedules be much different than usual.
Teams will be likely to confine their schedules to opponents that are close by; say within a 30-miniute bus ride.
If the season opens the weekend of September 11-12, teams could theoretically schedule 10 games through the weekend of November 13-14
• Game-time logistics
Visiting teams will arrive at the site perhaps 90 minutes or longer before game time, already in uniform to have their temperatures taken. They likely will have an area where they can meet as a team but will not have access to the host school’s locker room facilities or showers.
The officials will also arrive in uniform. The officiating crew may be smaller than normal; some officials have expressed reservations about working during the pandemic.
• No fans
At this juncture, it appears that spectators will not be permitted. That’s fine. The logistics of enforcing social distancing in the stands would fall on the administration of the host school and would likely be extraordinarily difficult to enforce.
• No bands
Keep on mind that outdoor gatherings are limited to 250. That includes players, coaches, trainers, officials, and administrative staff. It’s far more important that teams be able to dress as many players as is reasonably possible. There simply won’t be room for bands and perhaps not for cheerleaders either.
• Liability issues
Local school districts mist now deal with liability questions. If sports go forward and if a student-athlete, coach, official, or opposing student athlete or coach becomes ill with the coronavirus, what kind of liability exposure does the school or school district face?
• Fairness
The risk of Covid-19 varies from one sport to another. It is obviously greater in a contact sport like football were social distancing is virtually impossible and less in other sports. The PIAA has issued guidelines for each sport.
Principals (who have ultimate authority for their school’s decision) and athletic directors may have to decide whether to go ahead with all their sports programs or just some of them or, in the event of a positive test, shut down the entire program, or only the sport(s) involved.
Our opinion: A district should either conduct all its sports or none of them. And if a Covid-19 issue should emerge that impacts one sport, all should be shut down. It’s amateur of safety and frankly amateur of fairness. All sports and all student-athlete should be regarded equally.
PIAA Okays Fall Sports
The decision will be left to each school and school district.
The PIAA posted the following release units web site Friday afternoon
The PIAA Board of Directors voted this afternoon to permit fall sports to begin on Monday, August 24thbased on local school decisions. The Board agrees the decision to compete in athletics should be made locally allowing for each school entity to decide whether to proceed and which sports to sponsor. As the health and safety of students is paramount to moving forward with athletics, the Board believes that through each member school’s adherence to their developed school health and safety plans and the PIAA Return to Competition Guidelines sports can continue.
The PIAA Board of Directors has heard the thousands of voices of student-athletes, parents, coaches, officials, as well as community leaders that have contacted us. We remind those individuals who have strongly advocated for athletes that they must keep strict adherence to their health and safety plans. All individuals involved in interscholastic athletic communities have a role in the health and wellness of all participants.
PIAA is committed to providing a season for all sports and all student athletes in the upcoming school year and will continue to remain flexible. The PIAA Board also voted that based on local school decisions the PIAA will monitor school participation on fall sports and may pursue alternate solutions if needed.
The PIAA calendar is as follows:
First Practice First Scrimmage First Contest
Golf 8-24 8-27 8-27
Girls Tennis 8-24 8-29 8-31
X-Country 8-24 8-29 9-11
Girls V-Ball 8-24 8-29 9-11
Soccer 8-24 8-29 9-11
Field Hockey 8-24 8-29 9-11
Football 8-24 9-5 9-11
Water Polo 8-24 8-29 9-11
Football most sponsor heat acclimation for five consecutive days if practices are to start prior to Friday, September 4. Following heat acclimation there must be five consecutive days of practice prior to a scrimmage and there must be five additional days of practice prior to a contest. A scrimmage could be held as early as September 3.
If a football team starts practice on or after September 4 the decision as to whether to sponsor a heat acclimation period is a local decision to be made based on weather conditions. The school must have 15 days of practice prior to its first contest.
Cheltenham KOs Fall Sports
The Cheltenham School District will not conduct sports programs this fall.
Dr. Wagner Marseille, the district’s superintendent, notified the school board at a meeting Thursday night that all fall athletic activities, practices, and competitions were being suspended because of th Covid-19 pandemic.
The Cheltenham School District becomes the third in PIAA District One to spend attic activities for the fall. The other two are Norristown Area and Pottstown.
The PIAA is expected to issue a statement regarding the full sports season sometime on Friday.
Points to Ponder
- Late update: the Philadelphia Public League which is part of PIAA District 12 has announced it is suspending all sports competitions through the end of 2020.
The start of formal high-school sports practices in Pennsylvania has been put off for two weeks. The heat-acclimation period that was to have begun in football on Monday has been postponed until August 24 along with the official start of practice in all fall sports.
Governor Wolf has indicated he would prefer there be no scholastic or youth sports in the Commonwealth through the end of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but PIAA administrators are still hopeful of having a fall season of some sort.
In the interim, there are some questions that those with a stake in high-school sports need to consider. We won’t suggest answers to these questions for now but they are queries that should be considered (this list may adjusted as the situation dictates.
If I’m an athletic director:
• If our school conducts its fall sports season can I be sure that I can keep our student-athletes safe?
• How should our teams structure their practice sessions to minimize the possibility of spreading the virus?
• Should we require our student-athletes and coaches be tested periodically?
• How should we react if one of our athletes or coaches tests positive? What is the threshold for shutting down one sport or an entire program?
• If social distancing protocols make it impossible for one sport to continue, should other sports should be shut down?
• If our school district cannot conduct on-site learning at the start of the school year and conducts virtual learning instead, should sports programs go ahead as scheduled?
• If one of our student-athletes or one from an opposing school becomes ill from the Corona-19 virus could our school or school district be held legally responsible?
People may not want to think about these questions. But they deserve well thought out answers.
PIAA Sports on Hold
The PIAA has put a two-week hold on the start of its fall sports season. Voluntary workouts will be allowed.
The heat acclimation period for football was to have begun on Monday, August 10 with formal practices in all fall sports scheduled to begin one week later.
The PIAA will reevaluate the situation on August 21.
On Thursday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf recommended that no high school or youth sports take place in Pennsylvania for the balance of 2020
Prep Sports Happenings 