If there was any doubt as to the status of spring sports at Po-Hi, a statement Thursday by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association laid it all to rest.

The OSSAA said in its statement that all spring activities of member schools would be cancelled. Up until Wednesday’s announcement by the State Department of Education that all public schools would be closed through the end of the school year, the OSSAA had said it was committed to doing what it could to see that spring sports would resume after April 6.

In its announcement of the cancellation of the remainder of the school year, Ponca City Public Schools had said that all activities would be suspended. The OSSAA ruling clearly defines its expectations.

Here is what the OSSAA announced:

“On March 25, the State Superintendent announced that all public schools would remain closed until the end of the academic year for each respective public school. The academic year for schools will end between May 8 and May 15.

“In conjunction with this decision the OSSAA Board voted unanimously, at the March 26 Teleconference Board Meeting to cancel the State Basketball Tournament for Classes 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A; additionally, all spring activities have been cancelled for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

Defining what the cessation of school activities will look like the OSSAA said:

“For the purpose of all OSSAA member school activities, all school personnel, including certified, adjunct or volunteer coaches, as well as teachers, directors, or instructors are prohibited from engaging in any type of OSSAA member school activity involving secondary students; no practice, instruction, training, weight lifting, tryouts, competition or travel is permitted.

SUMMER TIME ACTIVITIES: Until further notice, no OSSAA member school activities will be permitted. The timeline for the beginning of summer activities will be provided to member schools at a time when CDC recommendations as well as State and Local government recommendations allow for safe participation.

The ruling halts spring sports at Po-Hi including baseball, soccer, track, golf and tennis. But fall and winter sports are also affected. There will be no spring football practice. Football, wrestling and basketball teams will not be allowed to do any type of offseason training or workouts. There will no tryouts for any sport or activity including for cheer teams. All activity normal to this time of the year will be suspended.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, sports cancellations at Ponca City High School include 48 baseball games involving varsity, junior varsity and ninth grade teams; 10 track events; 10 boys golf events; seven girls golf events; 38 soccer matches involving varsity and junior varsity for boys and for girls and 44 tennis events involving varsity, junior varsity and junior high teams for both boys and girls.