Athletes can play only guessing game
Lack of a decision on fall sports by the PIAA leaves kids waiting and wondering
Matt Knowles is an All-Berks soccer player at Oley Valley High School who has been preparing for his senior season with his teammates during voluntary workouts this summer.
He says he follows the protocols to be safe when it comes to the coronavirus, like wearing a mask in public, washing his hands and social distancing.
He couldn’t care less about the politics on both sides that have seeped into a health, safety and welfare matter.
“I’m aware of the politics, but I feel like it’s bigger than that,” said Knowles, who also plays baseball and basketball. “You have to put that aside and realize that we’re kids. This is going to be our last year. This is like 11 years of our lives culminating into one last season.
“I feel like we should have a choice in what we do. We should be able to go out there and play.”
Like the NCAA, the PIAA once again kicked the can down the road Friday, putting off a decision about fall sports for another two weeks and leaving athletes across the state twisting in the wind.
In a statement, the PIAA made it clear that it wants to begin fall sports. Officials there claim Gov. Tom Wolf’s recommendation Thursday “blindsided” them and that their member schools have followed protocols issued by the Department of Health.
But shouldn’t the PIAA have been in constant communication with the governor’s office, especially as the scheduled start of the fall season approached? Now, thousands of athletes across the state will continue to wonder whether they’re going to lose another season or more.
“We’re at a loss for words,” Twin Valley athletic director John Guiseppe said. “By putting off the decision and delaying the season, we’re making things more indecisive for our athletes. How are we supposed to lead our athletes when you keep delaying the decision and keep telling them that it’s going to be OK?
“At some point we need a decision to move forward. This should have nothing to do with politics. It should have everything to do with our athletes and keeping them safe so they can participate in a healthy activity.”
Madison Ziska is a rising junior at Schuylkill Valley who plays three sports. She won two District 3 Class 2A gold medals in 2019 in the 400 and the long jump in track, was an All-Berks pick and PIAA qualifier in golf last year; and an All-Berks selection in basketball in 2019-20.
She’s already lost one season and hopes she doesn’t lose another.
“This whole time, I’ve had no clue what was going on,” Ziska said. “It kind of scares me to think of my future and college and getting noticed for the sports I do. All of us are stuck not knowing what to do.”
Tristan Baer is a rising junior at Hamburg and a three-sport athlete in football, wrestling and baseball. He has empathy for his football teammates who are seniors and who could lose their final seasons.
“It kind of upsets me because our seniors have only one year,” Baer said. “I have a lot of friends who are seniors and I want to see them excel their last year. I thought we were going to be really good. I wanted to put a smile on their face in their last game.”
Because of the pandemic, Baer’s only been able to see one of his grandfathers twice since March because he has a kidney condition. He understands the risks involved with COVID-19 and wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the decision-makers.
“It’d be so hard,” he said. “You’re going to disappoint so many people. If you do say sports are going to happen, some are going to complain. The same thing if you say no.
“I’ve grown up with sports my whole life. I’ve played baseball, football and wrestling since I was 5. It’s a daily thing for me. If I don’t do something one day, I don’t feel like I accomplished anything. It puts me in a better mood.”
Knowles, Ziska and Baer all said they’re confident that officials at their respective schools are doing and will do everything they can to make their facilities safe for them.
The uncertainty and the indecision bother them the most.
With many returners, Oley Valley has been expected to contend for its second straight Berks League boys soccer crown.
“You don’t know if what you’re working for is going to come through,” Knowles said. “We’ve been working out and preparing as if we’re going to have a season. That’s really helped, telling yourself that you’re going to have a season. “It’s kind of tough when you just don’t know.” All of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states have made calls on fall sports, one way or the other. I have no doubt that the PIAA, Gov. Wolf and others are trying to do what they think is right.
The decisions are difficult ones, but they should be made sooner rather than later so high school athletes across the state know where they stand.