Maine, Oregon join 16 other states in canceling high school spring sports season

Two states on the opposite sides of the country officially canceled the high school spring sports season amid the coronavirus pandemic this week.

In the Northeast, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) announced on Thursday, April 9 that the state will forego the high school spring sports season — which includes baseball, softball, tennis, lacrosse, and track and field — according to a story published in The Bangor Daily News. The decision came nearly two days after the Maine Education Commissioner, Pender Mankin, recommended that the state’s teachers should plan to work remotely for the remainder of the school year.

“It is with regret that the Maine Principals’ Association announces the cancellation of the 2020 spring athletic season,” an MPA release read in the Bangor Daily News. “Please know that this was not a decision that was taken lightly, but one that the leadership at the MPA felt necessary to help support the recommendations from our Governor’s Office, the Maine CDC, and Commissioner Makin, and the Department of Education, that schools across the state not come back in session and provide remote and distance learning opportunities for the remainder of the school year.”

Across the country in the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) also announced the cancelation of the high school spring sports season on Wednesday, April 8, as reported by KGW8 in Portland. Activities had previously halted through April 28 to align with Gov. Kate Brown’s previous school closure announcement. The OSAA’s decision came almost immediately after Gov. Brown announced that in-person classes were canceled for the remainder of the academic year.

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“Today’s heart-wrenching decision is difficult for all members of the OSAA family,” said Peter Weber, OSAA executive director, according to KGW8. “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.”

These two states join 16 others that have already canceled the high school spring sports seasons, according to a story in USA Today. To see the status of high school spring sports in your state as of April 7, click here.