NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Spring high school sports were canceled by the Arkansas Activities Association Thursday, three days after the governor of Arkansas announced that schools would not resume on campus for the remainder of the school year earlier.
The AAA announced the athletic cancellations via a press release on its Twitter account.
"After multiple conversations with the Arkansas Department of Health, the Governor's Office, the Arkansas Department of Education and with the announcement of the closure of Arkansas schools through the end of the school year, all remaining AAA spring activities, state championships, AHSCA Coaches Clinic, and All-Star games have been cancelled," the release stated.
The AAA had issued a dead period for athletics in response to the COVID-19 pandemic the second week of March. That dead period had been extended until May 1 after Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced school campuses would remain closed but AMI and distance learning would continue.
Area coaches and athletic directors understood the decision and why it was made, but expressed grief for the student athletes, especially the high school seniors, who had their final seasons end abruptly.
"It's horrible, from an athletic standpoint," Arkansas High athletic director and head coach Barry Norton said. "A kid works his whole life, or her whole life, to be able to compete in high school and the a love for high school sports. And all of the sudden, it is taken away, it's really tough on those kids.
"At their age, the kids don't understand as much. Kids tend to think they're invincible and that they're never going to get sick. The fact of the matter is I think everybody's done the right thing. Our government officials are working to make the right decisions to keep our kids, our communities and everybody healthy, so that's the No. 1 thing. It's tough right now because these kids have worked extremely hard, and to have it come to an abrupt stop like this is awful tough."
The AAA's most recent release also had a message from Executive Director Lance Taylor.
"Today's heart wrenching decision is difficult for all members of the AAA family," Taylor said. "We sympathize with the students, coaches, parents, and school communities, and especially our graduating seniors, but we recognize that the cancellations will allow our collective focus to remain where it is needed at this time on the health and safety of all Arkansans. We all must come together to stop the spread."
As of Friday, there were 18 states that had announced school closures for the remainder of the school year, according for an article on journal.com. Many others have issued closures "until further notice" and the earliest would be April 20 (Maryland and Connecticut).
"These are uncharted waters for everybody," Genoa Central AD and head football coach Buddy Ray said. "I respect the decisions that they make, because certainly the health, safety and welfare of our kids is the No. 1 thing. It is disappointing, from an AD's and coach's standpoint, to see these young people lose their spring. But it's something that everyone's having to deal with. We're all in it together.
"We had been to one track meet, played four or five baseball games and about the same in softball (when athletics were suspended in March). Those seniors are, obviously, the ones you truly feel for since it was brought to an abrupt halt. This is something that everyone is facing; we'll get through this together. At some point, hopefully, things will get back to normal."