High school sports canceled in Mississippi for remainder of the academic year

The Mississippi High School Activities Association has announced it is canceling all sports until the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic school year.

The cancellation is due to the COVID-19 crisis in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. The executive committee voted on the measure Wednesday.

The decision came just a day after Gov. Tate Reeves announced the closure of all Mississippi schools for the remainder of the year.

“I want to thank the Executive Committee and our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for their excellent leadership and support through what has been an unprecedented crisis for our schools,” MHSAA Executive Director Don Hinton in a release. “We are extremely fortunate to have these exemplary leaders providing guidance and care for our Mississippi students and schools. The safety and well-being of our students, school personnel and communities is always at the very top of our list of priorities. When Gov. Reeves made the announcement schools would be closed for the remainder of the current 2019-20 school year, both MHSAA leadership and the Executive Committee felt the time had come to cancel all activities and athletics as well.

“This is an extremely difficult day because we know how much work, dedication and sacrifice these students, coaches and their families have put into these sports and activities that are unable to finish their spring seasons. We join all of our schools in anticipation of a successful return to sports and activities in the fall of 2020. The MHSAA thanks everyone involved for their patience and understanding throughout this process.”

Now that all high school sports are canceled in the state this academic year, athletes in their senior year won’t get the chance to impress college scouts. Cross country, track and field, slow and fast pitch softball were all sports that were starting their seasons when sports were first suspended in the state.

As of now, team sports may resume after June 1, but it could be later depending on the path of the virus and decisions by the state of Mississippi.