MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is sticking with his recommendation that there should be no fall sports until at least Jan. 1, 2021, but reiterated that is is just that – a recommendation.
“This is my recommendation,” Wolf said at the close of answering a question about a letter sent to him from the PIAA. “It was then, it still is.”
The letter was sent to Wolf’s office by PIAA Executive Director Robert Lombardi seeking further dialogue on the issue.
“I think I got it, but I haven’t seen the letter,” Wolf said. “I am certain we are in touch with the PIAA. We are trying to do everything we can to get our kids back to learning, and I don’t see how transporting (kids) back and forth across county borders is going to help in an effort to mitigate this disease and get us back to learning. Let’s pause. The focus should be on learning, anything that happens, and interferes with that, we have to be careful. Again, what I did was give a recommendation. I am a parent. My kids went to school. My kids were PIAA athletes. But this is my recommendation.”
Wolf went on to say that he also recommended this summer that Pennsylvanians avoid going to the Jersey Shore – when he said that he gave a look on his face that seemingly acknowledged that recommendation wasn’t followed.
“You do what you want,” Wolf said. “And school districts are going to do what they want.
“I’m not sure what they (the PIAA) can say to make me change my sense of what I believe is the right thing to do. 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.”
On Friday, Aug. 7, the PIAA pushed back the start of fall sports practices a week (two for football heat acclimation) with a start date of Aug. 24.
After the Aug. 7 meeting, the PIAA said it will meet again on Aug. 21 to discuss further how to move forward and if it will proceed with the Aug. 24 start date.
