With COVID-19 (Coronavirus) affecting the lives of many at this point in the United States it was only a matter of time until high school basketball games started to get wiped out altogether. Games have been played in empty gyms over the past couple games in and around New York City, but on Thursday morning the first shoe officially fell with the CHSAA cancelling the rest of the basketball season.

According to both the President of the CHSAA Archdiocese of New York Kevin Pigott and CHSAA Boys Basketball Chairman Paul Gilvary the ruling to put an end to the basketball season, and the rest of the winter sports, in the CHSAA was not an easy decision, and one that Pigott says came from the highest levels.

"I wasn't privy to those decisions as they came from the Superintendent of Schools in the Archdiocese along with the Principals of the schools, but I assume with all the other things going on around us that it was a case on really being on the side of caution," Pigott explained via a phone conversation on Wednesday morning.

Gilvary held similar sentiments understanding that while many may still want to see the games being played to crown a champion, that first and foremost has to be the safety of all the players and coaches that would have been participating during a very unknown situation.

"Everyone's concern is the same with that being safety and doing the right thing and this is a situation that is very difficult and very hard to know what the right thing and safest thing is and that's why it's important side with an abundance of caution," Gilvary stated.

With the NBA postponing the season and other professional sports leagues likely to do the same, Pigott felt that for the greater good it was important to make this sacrifice even though he understood that the disappointment may be great for some.

All of the players and coaches in the CHSAA have been striving to win a City Championship since practices started up in early November, and while Gilvary feels bad for all involved it's the seniors that he really sympathizes most with understanding that this was their last chance for high school glory.

"I feel really bad for the coaches and the teams but I especially feel bad for the seniors who have put so much into this," Gilvary admitted. "We tried extremely hard to get these games played and I cannot tell you how many scenarios we went through to make that happen but this Coronavirus just moves faster than we can."

While the Winter Sports season for the CHSAA has been cancelled as of right now the Spring Sports can still practice according to Pigott but no games, scrimmages, or meets can take place until further notice. It's not the result that anyone wanted, but in these uncertain times it's the only move both Pigott and Gilvary felt could've been made for the safety and well-being of everyone involved.