Catholic high schools in our region are opting out of fall sports amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Monday.

The announcement was made in a letter that was sent to all 17 Archdiocesan high schools in Pennsylvania’s five-county region, which includes Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.

“After much careful thought, consultation, and prayer a decision has been reached that all of our high schools will opt out of participation in interscholastic competition for the fall 2020 season,” a spokesperson wrote. “We recognize that this news is disappointing to many of our students, families and coaches, particularly our seniors. It saddens us greatly as well. We recognize the value of athletics as part of our educational philosophy that seeks to provide for the holistic formation of young men and women of character. This is not the scenario any of us desired.”

The decision comes three days after the PIAA board voted to permit falls sports in Pennsylvania high schools at the discretion of the local school entity. 

“Our system operates under the jurisdiction of the Office of Catholic Education and Faith in the Future,” the spokesperson wrote. “As such, senior leadership from both FIF and OCE have carefully deliberated PIAA’s announcement through the lens of the principles that have always shaped our response to the pandemic—preserving health and safety, following guidelines established by the governor, Department of Health and Department of Education, and maintaining a consistent system-wide approach to decision making.”