Gov. Wolf Says Discussions With PIAA Won't Make Him Change His No Sports Recommendation: 'They Have A Decision To Make'
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
YORK, Pa. (KDKA) - Will discussions with the PIAA make Gov. Tom Wolf change his recommendation to postpone sports? He says he doesn't think so, but he also says playing is the PIAA's decision.
After the Wolf administration recommended postponing school and recreational sports until 2021, the PIAA said it wanted to work with Gov. Wolf and his administration to discuss fall sports.
The PIAA wants to talk with Gov. Wolf's aides about "possible options for fall sports" among its member schools, according to a letter from the PIAA's director provided to the Associated Press.
At a press conference Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf says he got the letter, but he hasn't read it yet. He stressed his recommendation to postpone school and recreational sports until 2021 was a recommendation -- not an order or a mandate.
He recognized that the PIAA wants to sponsor sports but doesn't want to go against a recommendation from the governor. But Gov. Wolf said it's the PIAA's decision to make.
"I'm not sure what they can say to make me change my sense of what I believe is the right thing to do," Gov. Wolf said. "Again, they have a decision to make on their own. I recognize I'm just one person -- maybe I am the governor -- but I am one person that has an opinion on what we ought to do here."
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He says he believes going back to school should be the priority right now.
"We're trying to do everything we can to make sure we get our kids back to learning and I don't see how transporting -- whatever the age of the population -- back and forth across county borders is going to help in the effort to mitigate this disease and get us back to learning. Let's put that on pause. The focus should be on learning."
The PIAA board of directors will meet again on Aug. 21. Until then, voluntary workouts can continue but mandatory fall sports activities will be paused for two weeks. The PIAA says it continues to believe it can safely sponsor fall sports.
