In an open letter to participating families, the board of directors of the Bucks County Sports Association (BCSA) announced the cessation of its operations. 

The group arose when the COVID-19 outbreak called an extended time-out for traditional intramural sports. The BCSA’s view was that cancelling sports competitions or requiring masks for participants were, respectively, unnecessary and impractical.  

In December 2020, to fill the county’s sport vacancy, it ran its own basketball and soccer seasons. 

“We stood alone in providing an environment of normalcy in intramural sports,” the statement read. 

“We provided a completely normal playing environment to over 300 basketball and soccer athletes ranging from 3 to 14 years old,” the notice continued. “We not only allowed players to play without masks — we fully prohibited masks altogether. 

“Our athletes did what athletes do in team sports: They huddled; they hugged; they high-fived; and they shook hands with the opposing team after every game.”

The BCSA statement concludes by acknowledging that current health conditions are vastly different from what they were six months ago when the shut-down occurred. 

Improving COVID-19 case numbers countywide led to their decision to cease providing an alternative to masked competition. 

The board did assert, however, that if conditions warrant that it would “spring back into action at a moment’s notice” to support youth sports. 

The complete communication is available from the BSCA.