WPIAL treasurer Michael Allison voted ‘no’ to starting fall sports. Here’s why.

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, August 22, 2020 | 12:27 AM

Hopewell principal Michael Allison is a former high school athlete and coach, the treasurer of the WPIAL and president of the Pennsylvania Principals Association.

He’s also one of five PIAA board members Friday who voted against starting fall sports next week. Allison understands his vote won’t be popular with many, but it’s a decision he didn’t take lightly.

“The last thing on earth that I ever want to do is cancel high school sports,” Allison said. “I’ve given years to the WPIAL in service to kids. I think a lot of people think I just wanted to cancel sports. That’s not the point.”

The vote passed 25-5, allowing fall sports to start Monday.

Gov. Tom Wolf wanted youth sports delayed until January to prevent potential coronavirus spread, a “strong recommendation” that key departments in his administration also supported. The state departments of health and education both backed the youth sports delay.

That’s advice Allison couldn’t ignore.

“I strongly believe that as school administrators, we have a responsibility to follow the recommendation of the Department of Health, the governor and the Department of Education,” he said. “That recommendation was made. All of us have health and safety plans about following the recommendations.”

Along with Allison, Pittsburgh Public Schools athletic director Karen Arnold also voted no. Joining them in opposition were three members who individually represent school boards, principals and superintendents. Department of Education representative Brian Campbell was one of two board members absent Friday.

Regardless of what the PIAA decided Friday, Pittsburgh Public School administrators had already recommended delaying fall sports. The school board will discuss those plans for the City League next week.

“I voted no because the district has recommended to postpone fall sports out of concern for the health and safety of our students and staff and an adherence to the strong recommendation by Gov. Wolf,” Arnold said.

The WPIAL has vocally supported starting fall sports now, but WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said she’s fine with Allison voting no. Allison’s position was clear before Friday. The Pennsylvania Principals Association, with Allison as president, released survey data Thursday showing 44% of members who responded wanted to delay.

“He’s representing our board, and there are schools in the district that don’t feel comfortable,” Scheuneman said, earlier in the week.

The WPIAL has three voting members on the 32-person PIAA board. WPIAL president Scott Seltzer and vice president Patrick Mannarino voted yes.

Allison wished there was another vote option Friday, one that would’ve allowed low-risk sports to continue while contact sports were delayed.

“If you could’ve convinced me to vote yes, it would have been by separating contact sports from non-contact sports,” he said. “I don’t see a scenario where playing contact sports — and especially football — can possibly be safe without having a mask on the whole time.”

The PIAA board moved forward with support from the PIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Council, which voted unanimously in July that “strict adherence by schools and teams to their school-adopted plans and the governor’s School Sports Guidance should provide a reasonably safe environment for student athletes to participate in interscholastic athletics as currently scheduled.”

The council met again Monday and didn’t change its recommendation.

“I’ve spent 90-plus days, every day, at least eight hours a day, trying to figure out how to keep kids safe in school,” Allison said. “We’ve told kids that you’re going to have to wear masks all day in school. You’re going to have to socially distance in school.

“How can, at 2:30, all of a sudden you don’t have to socially distance anymore? And you can take your mask off simply because you’re exercising?”

Allison stressed that he doesn’t speak for the WPIAL or Hopewell. He alone won’t be deciding whether the Vikings play football, soccer or any other sport this fall. Those decisions rest with the superintendent and the school board.

“The mixture of covid and sports is a recipe for disaster,” Allison said. “Schools are going to be shut down completely and they’re going to lose all opportunity to participate in anything. I hope that doesn’t happen. I pray every day that I’m wrong about that.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Hopewell