Michigan Cancels Winter and Spring Seasons

[Freddy]

Dear MHSAA Family:

Below you will find the media release announcing the MHSAA’s decision to cancel all 2019-20 winter and spring tournaments and sport seasons. This was based on protecting the health, safety and well-being of students, teachers, coaches, support staff, officials, media members, parents, fans and families. It follows the Governor’s order of April 2 and will allow member schools to put all attention, energy and resources into online learning experiences for the next two months. This is a public health crisis and the MHSAA, like many others, is putting public health first.

Thank you for all that you do for school sports in our state.

Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
[email protected]
Phone: 517-332-5046
MHSAA.com

MHSAA Cancels Remainder of 2019-20 Winter & Spring Seasons

EAST LANSING, Mich. – April 3 – The Michigan High School Athletic Association has canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 Winter and Spring sports seasons, in compliance with the Thursday (April 2) “state of disaster” directive by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closing school buildings and moving education online for the remainder of the school year to help decrease the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

This will be the first school year to not see MHSAA Finals played in multiple sports since 1942-43, when World War II led to the elimination of Finals in most sports.

The MHSAA on March 12 suspended its girls and boys basketball, girls gymnastics, boys ice hockey and boys swimming & diving tournaments amid COVID-19 concerns. All activity in all sports was halted March 13. Spring sports to that point had begun practice, but not competition.

The MHSAA’s Representative Council approved during its Winter Meeting on March 27 a series of concepts for completing the Winter tournaments and an abbreviated Spring season, contingent on the lifting of a statewide quarantine. The closure of school buildings into June made those possibilities void.

The MHSAA’s Executive Committee, comprised of officers of the larger Council, affirmed the decision today (April 3) to cancel the remainder of this school year’s activities.

“We are heartbroken to not be able to provide these opportunities for Michigan’s student-athletes, and especially seniors. We continue to hear from dozens asking us to hold out hope. But safety always must come first, and Governor Whitmer is making courageous decisions to safeguard the people of our state,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “We understand as much as anyone how much school sports mean to athletes and their communities. We had ideas and hopes for finishing Winter and Spring and helping bring some sort of normalcy after this long break. But this is the correct decision, and we will play our part in bringing schools and communities together again when the time is right.“

“For now, we cannot state strongly enough that all students, staffs and others follow the guidelines established to slow the spread of this virus – we all must do our part.”

Because the five Winter sports were not able to conclude with Finals, no champions will be awarded in those sports for 2019-20. However, championships won at earlier rounds of those tournaments (District or Regional) will continue to stand.

The MHSAA will in coming weeks provide guidelines and other information pertinent to this unusual offseason as attention is turned to preparing for Fall 2020.

[BillyMac]

Wow! Closing school buildings and moving education online for the remainder of the school year!

Drastic times, drastic measures.

Here in Connecticut we're still holding out hope to get in a few weeks of school and high school graduations.

Are we being too optimistic?

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Wow! Closing school buildings and moving education online for the remainder of the school year!

Drastic times, drastic measures.

Here in Connecticut we're still holding out hope to get in a few weeks of school and high school graduations.

Are we being too optimistic?

Yes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JRutledge]

Is there a state that has not done this on some level? I am not sure if it is official in Illinois, but no one is playing any spring sports for weeks in this state. Indiana just pulled the trigger on their Spring season on Friday.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Is there a state that has not done this on some level?

https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/mu...-closures.html