School’s Out, and So Are Spring Sports
After more than a month of dwindling hope, the UIL on Friday officially cancelled the remainder of the season for all spring athletic events.
The decision coincided with the mandate from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to keep schools statewide closed through the end of the academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our staff had been working hard on plans to resume activities this spring, but without schools in session, interscholastic activities cannot continue,” UIL executive director Charles Breithaupt said in a press release. “We are now turning our attention to the 2020-2021 school year.”
Among the sports affected are baseball, softball, soccer, track and field, tennis, and golf. There will be no spring football practices, and non-UIL sports such as lacrosse and gymnastics also won’t resume. TAPPS also announced the cancellation of all remaining private-school spring activities on Friday.
Highland Park won state championships in 2019 in girls soccer and boys golf, but the Scots will have to wait another year to defend those crowns with new rosters.
As part of the decision, in-person practices, rehearsals, and workouts remain suspended until further notice. The UIL has not announced any contingency plans for the upcoming fall season. Volleyball practices are slated to start Aug. 3, with matches beginning the following week.
Meanwhile, the UIL has removed 2020 football dates from its website, although with spring practice wiped out, fall workouts likely would be targeted to begin on Aug. 3. Not including scrimmages, the season is scheduled to get underway on Aug. 28.
