CHAPEL HILL — Any remaining hope that the 2020 high school spring sports season would resume some time in May was put to rest by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Governor Roy Cooper announced in a press conference on Friday that all North Carolina schools would not continue in-school instruction for the remainder of the academic school year.
That decision by Cooper to keep students and faculty safe from the COVID-19 outbreak led the NCHSAA and commissioner Que Tucker to effectively cancel the spring sports slate.
The announcement by the state’s governing sports body also said the winter sports championships were also included in that cancelation.
“Today’s decision is difficult for the NCHSAA Board of Directors and staff,” Tucker said in a statement. “We empathize with the thousands of student-athletes, especially graduating seniors, coaching staffs, officials and family members affected by this decision.”
“However, this decision reflects a commitment to keeping our student-athletes, officials and member schools’ staffs and their communities safe, while following the guidelines provided by the Governor and his team, along with the Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education.”
The NCHSAA initially suspended all sports on March 12, and had hoped to resume spring sports on April 6. Following Cooper’s shelter in place order, that deadline was pushed until the final decision was rendered late last week.
Before the stoppage of play, most of Richmond Senior High School’s programs were able to get at least two weeks’ worth of play in, including the baseball, softball, girls’ soccer and boys’ tennis teams.
The boys’ and girls’ track and field teams competed in one meet, while the boys’ golf team was the only program not to officially begin play.
“We had maintained hope for a conclusion to our state basketball championships and a modified spring sports season to help return a sense of normalcy to our communities,” continued Tucker. “
“Now, as we continue to deal with this difficult time, we must do so by applying the lessons that education-based athletics teaches us: cooperation, patience, sacrifice, responsibility, perseverance and resilience. Together, we will be able to put a ‘W’ in the win column.”
The NCHSAA Board of Directors, in its meeting in the upcoming week, will discuss finalizing the state basketball playoffs, policies for summer activities, as well as address academic eligibility concerns for the fall 2020 season.
