‘Let Them Play’ rallies for high school sports to return planned for 3 Fresno-area locations
California high school athletes and their parents will make their feelings known this week that they want to resume sports — now.
“Let Them Play” rallies are planned to take place statewide at 4 p.m. Friday including at least three in Fresno County and another in Tulare:
▪ Fresno County Health Department, 1221 Fulton St.
▪ Sanger High, 1045 N. Bethel Ave.
▪ Pioneer Park in Reedley, 8th and G streets.
▪ Tulare Western in front of the campus at the marquee at 824 W. Maple Ave.
The rallies are a plea to Gov. Gavin Newsom. The flyer says, “Please join schools across California as we stand up for sports together. This will be the same date and time for all schools to show the state we are still here and want to play.”
The rallies are parent-organized and not school-sanctioned events.
Sanger parent Tylee Navo said, “Sanger is joining 100-plus high schools across the state to raise awareness that sports have been played safely in over 40 states. It’s time our student-athletes are provided with the same opportunities.”
It has been 10 months since high school sports were played in California.
Sports were halted in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Fall and winter sports were pushed to potentially early 2021, but that start time is up in the air as a nearly statewide shutdown continues because of rising COVID-19 cases and deaths.
The California Interscholastic Federation had previously said sports would fall under these criteria:
▪ CIF Season 1 Sports (January-April) would include traditional competitive cheer, cross country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, skiing/snowboarding, girls volleyball and water polo.
▪ CIF Season 2 Sports (March-June) would fall under badminton, baseball, basketball, competitive sport cheer, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, boys volleyball and wrestling.
The CIF’s proposed plan is to resume sports on Jan. 25, if allowed by guidance from the California Department of Public Health.
At the rallies Friday, organizers are encouraging people to wear school colors, hold up signs, wear masks and social distance.
This story was originally published January 14, 2021 at 2:21 PM.
