Coronavirus: RI Makes 'Awful' Call To Cancel Spring Sports

Scott Souza
Updated ·3 min read

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — That the news was increasingly expected in recent weeks did not make it any less painful for high school athletes — especially seniors looking forward to their final season playing for their respective schools. On Friday, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League made official that the spring sports season has been canceled due to the coronavirus health emergency.

The announcement comes one day after Gov. Gina Raimondo announced she was closing school buildings for the remainder of the academic year.

"The interscholastic league has said they were waiting to see what we were going to do about schools," Raimondo said during her Thursday news conference. "If we cancel school, they would cancel sports."

RIIL Principals' Committee on Athletics Chairman and Cranston East High principal Sean Kelly said there was no way to have a high school season while the schools were closed, and the state's state-at-home order potentially extended with social distancing limits.

"In our original statement, we said that we would hold a spring season if we returned to school," Kelly said in an RIIL statement. "Throughout this process we have followed the guidelines set forth by Governor Gina Raimondo, the Rhode Island Department of Health, the Rhode Island Board of Education and our superintendents. We are going to continue to do so. We are a school-based athletic program. Therefore, if we do not return to school, we cannot return to sports."

The RI winter sports season was suspended in the final stages of the basketball and hockey state tournaments when increasing health restrictions prevented playing of the state finals — even as proposed in empty college arenas with the exception of players, coaches and essential staff.

"This is obviously devastating for everyone," Kelly said. "It is devastating for all of the student athletes, especially the seniors who have been waiting for their final high school season. It is devastating to all the schools. It is devastating to all of our communities. It is devastating to everyone. We do not take this decision lightly.

"It is awful. There is no other way to put it."

Gov. Raimondo expressed similar regret for the senior classes, especially, when she made what she said was a necessary announcement about school closings on Thursday.

"This is a bummer," Gov. Raimondo allowed. "There is no other way for me to say it. And I'm sorry. This was your senior year. You were going to be the captain of your sports team, go to your proms, have your spring flings. ... Now all of a sudden coronavirus comes along, and I am telling you that you are stuck in your house for learning, and everything's going to be different.

"Proms, traditional proms like we've had, and traditional graduations are not going to be possible this spring," she concluded.

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This article originally appeared on the North Kingstown Patch