‘Let us play.’ High school athletes rally at state capitol for return of football, fall sports

In January 2019, Mount Si High School senior student-athlete Cole Norah tore his ACL.

It was an injury shortly after his sophomore campaign as a running back and safety that prompted his absence from spring football and baseball.

After missing the opening four weeks of his junior season -- and a cautious transition back to the field -- Norah needs his senior year to attract the eyes of universities.

“I have plenty of coaches telling me that they just wanted to see more, so I was determined to have a strong senior year,” Norah said. “I’ve been training the hardest of my life for the next three months of my senior season, which has now been postponed to the spring. My life and my future is up in the air and in Governor Inslee’s hands. We need this senior season.”

On the steps of the state capitol stood some 100 high school student-athletes Thursday evening, pleading to Governor Inslee, state legislators, and the WIAA to simply “let us play.”

It was the theme of the Student Athletes of Washington’s “March on the Capitol,” as the state remains as one of fourteen in the nation not to reopen high school athletics, in some capacity.

“This is more than just sports,” said Josh McCarron, an Archbishop Murphy senior and University of Virginia commit. “For many, this is an opportunity to go to college. This is an opportunity to escape reality. … This is an opportunity to bring a young group of kids together, and help them learn the skills to become great future leaders. We need this, and we are prepared to do whatever for it.”

Similar to the suspension of in-person learning in schools around the state, the WIAA postponed athletic play and moved the fall sports schedule to March of next year, subsequently creating an outcry from student-athletes who want the opportunity to compete.

Several of SAW’s members addressed the crowd of athletes, parents, and coaches, stating their case for the resumption of high school athletics this fall.

“Texas, Florida and New York are among states playing this fall,” McCarron said. “But what do these states have in common? They are all among the top five states in terms of cases, all almost tripling our case count. Of the thirty-six states playing sports this fall, more than half of those states have more cases than us. So I ask, why not us?”

Georgia and Utah are also among those who have decided to play this fall. Georgia, now with over 220,000 coronavirus cases, are wearing masks at practice, keeping team meeting periods to only 15 minutes, and restricting the amount of athletes allowed in locker rooms, according to McCarron.

Some states have utilized contact tracing; if a player tests positive for COVID-19, those in contact with the infected athlete must be quarantined for a minimum of ten days.

“We understand this comes with risks,” McCarron said. “But thirty-six other states have taken the same risk and succeeded. What makes us different? We understand any life lost is too many, and that is why we are here to say we understand the gamble we are taking.”

Yet the Student Athletes of Washington further addressed the benefits of high school sports, including the disadvantages of a postponed season.

Sam Huard, a University of Washington commit and the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the country, discussed the repercussions of a delayed season.

“It’s not just why we want to be out there playing in the fall, but it’s also the negative side effects that come with not having a season,” Huard told The News Tribune. “Such as mental health issues and juvenile crime rates. … If you don’t have extracurricular activities and sports, it could put kids in bad situations. With these seniors, it’s really (about) giving them an opportunity to play their senior year in the fall and to get the recognition they deserve.”

Included in the SAW’s proposal was a restructured calendar for high school football, which featured a 6-week league-only schedule and condensed playoff format that crowns a state champion Dec. 11.

SAW additionally created an online petition -- one that has garnered nearly 29,000 signatures.

“If you don’t want to play, you ain’t gotta play,” said Tracy Ford, a former football professional and current trainer and coach. “If you don’t want to go to school, you don’t gotta go to school. But if you want to, you should be able to do that. It’s the land of the free. That’s what they say, right? Your voices need to be heard. It’s not only about sports.”

Statistics indicate that the highest rates of juvenile crime occur between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., the interval of time after schools release and before parents return home from a typical work day, says SAW.

“I’ve seen kids go right, and I’ve also seen kids go left,” Ford said. “The one thing I know about the kids that go left, is when they go left, they get away from the right people, the right circle, the right crowd, the right mentorships, the right coaches, the right structure. … We were supposed to stay at home for two weeks. It’s been seven months. Now (if) you tell me we’ll just play in the spring and everything’s gonna be good, there’s no guarantee in that.”

And so “let us play” were the final words of the rally, chanted in unison by a group of student-athletes hopeful for their opportunity.

“He doesn’t have to play,” Ford said of Huard. “He’s the No. 1 quarterback in the country. But again, he wants to play. He wants to compete with his brothers. … He wants to finish what he started.”

This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 10:38 PM.