The solar eclipse is certain to mess with sports wherever it's at its most viewable, likely all over America. That will also be the case in Pittsburgh when it comes to high school events.
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For the WPIAL, the largest conference/league in Western Pennsylvania, it's not the first time games have had to be moved around because of the "weather." But it's the first time because of a solar eclipse.
"When I was with the City League [as athletic director of Pittsburgh Public Schools], I had to move games once because of the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh," Mike Gavlik, Hampton High athletic director, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I've rescheduled a lot of games for a lot of different things, but you never say you've seen it all because this is another new one."
The eclipse is indeed causing the postponement or delay in the WPIAL. Games are just one example. Practices can't start until 4:30 p.m. locally, either.
These aren't WPIAL rules, though. The schools are making up their own minds, it seems. Conference officials only are in charge of postponing playoff games, per the Post Gazette.
"For us to go ahead and practice, we want to make sure of safety and there were no potential ramifications. I'm so intrigued by this [eclipse], I might look up myself," Gavlik told the outlet. "And I guarantee if you tell kids don't look up, they're going to look up. You know what happens when you're at a baseball game and there's a foul ball. Everyone says, 'Heads up.' Well, we can't have that Monday afternoon."
Sadly, for WPIAL programs, it's been a terrible week of spring sports already.
"But the postponements of games because of a solar eclipse comes on top of a terrible stretch of weather that also has wreaked havoc with baseball and softball schedules," Mike White of the Post Gazette wrote. "Many baseball and softball teams did not play at all this week."
Now, the weather should be fine. But the sun and the moon have other reasons to cause a disruption.
