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OSAA officially cancels spring sports season By Kris Henry of the Mail Tribune Apr 08, 2020 04:59 PM A A The Oregon School Activities Association vowed it would follow the lead of Gov. Kate Brown when it came to determining the fate of the spring sports season, and that final shoe fell to the dismay of many athletes, coaches and fans Wednesday evening. Per the governor’s announcement earlier in the day that Oregon schools will be closed to in-person learning for the remainder of the school year, the OSAA has canceled all remaining spring activities and state championships. “Today’s heart-wrenching decision is difficult for all members of the OSAA family,” said OSAA executive director Peter Weber in a news release. “We empathize with students and school communities, especially our graduating seniors, but recognize that these cancellations will allow our collective focus to remain where it’s most needed at this time — on the health and safety of all Oregonians.” The COVID-19 pandemic caused the OSAA to suspend the spring sports season on March 13, and its executive board opted against taking any further action April 1 in the first of two scheduled meetings. An April 15 meeting to re-evaluate the situation had been planned but became unnecessary after the governor’s decree Wednesday. Schools were initially closed statewide through March 31, then that closure was extended through April 28 before Wednesday’s ultimate decision to keep schools closed to in-person learning until the 2020-21 school year. “We had maintained hope for an abbreviated spring season to help bring a sense of normalcy to these uncertain times,” said Weber. “Now more than ever we need to apply the lessons learned through participation in education-based activities — teamwork, sacrifice, resilience — and play our role in adhering to the public health guidelines. We all look forward to the day when we play again.” Current OSAA policies prohibiting the use of school facilities and coaches from organizing or directing workouts and practices remain in effect until further notice. The OSAA executive board will meet in the coming weeks to discuss policies for summer activities, along with academic eligibility concerns for Fall 2020 that have been expressed by member schools and families. The OSAA and its member schools are currently awaiting guidance from the Oregon Department of Education on credit attainment for students in grades 9-11 through the state’s Distance Learning for All initiative. Oregon joins a handful of states at the high school level (Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma , Virginia and Washington) that have canceled their spring sports seasons. Have a story idea? Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected] , www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry Scenes like this one last year, where South Medford catcher Rikiya Bratcher heads off North Medford's Kyleigh Lopez in her bid for home, will not be possible this year after the OSAA officially canceled the spring sports season Wednesday. Photo by Denise Baratta