LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The big question on the minds of coaches and players around Kentucky is whether or not it's "game on" this fall.
"There's a lot of anxious kids out there tonight," Male H.S. Head Football Coach Chris Wolfe said Wednesday night after a football practice. "I thought about it today, like is this going to be my last practice with them this year or with my seniors?"
High School student athletes are currently waiting to find out if their upcoming season will move forward.
"Every coach, every player, every athletic director and every parent of a player is going to be tuned in to this meeting tomorrow," Fern Creek H.S. Head Football Coach Josh Abell said.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association already came out with a plan for sports to move forward this fall, with some changes and restrictions.
But, the board of control is meeting again Thursday morning at 10:30 to decide on "multiple scenarios for the season."
"It's not looking great," Abell said.
The day before the board is set to meet, Kentucky Senate Majority leadership sent a letter to KHSAA urging it to let local districts decide for themselves how to move forward with fall sports.
"We firmly believe that our local school districts, who have worked with health departments to develop reopening plans, should make the final decision on the future of their fall sports programs. Schools' ability to compete safely may not be the same from Paducah to Pikeville. A one-size-fits-all approach is not the best option," the letter stated, signed by seven state republican senators.
Both Abell and Wolfe said they agree that the decision should be up to the districts, but both fear that will mean Jefferson County Public Schools may cancel their season.
"If JCPS ends up being the only group that does not allow fall sports, I think it's going to cause a lot of problems," Abell said. "It does really concern me that JCPS could be one of, if not the only district, to vote no on sports while the rest of the state has sports."
"That's a tough pill for a high school kid," Wolfe said. "That's the one thing you're passionate about and all of a sudden, it gets taken away."
Wolfe said he's concerned about what he may have to explain to his players, if that it the decision JCPS makes.
"It's kind of like a game of chess. What are the different things that could happen and I try to think about what could you do to make a situation better?But at this point I don't know what the move is going to be. I don't know what officially the move is with the KHSAA and I don't know what the move is for JCPS," Wolfe said. "I hope that this decision is not made hastily. I hope its extremely thought out and I hope that there is a reason why."
JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said the district will make its recommendations after hearing what KHSAA decides Thursday, but Dr. Pollio said at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday night that he's a "proponent" of potentially pushing fall sports until the spring.
"As far as pushing it off, as far as moving it to spring, I'm open for whatever I can do to give these kids a chance, but I don't want it to be pandering," Wolfe said. "There are mental consequences and emotional consequences to taking away these things."
Both coaches said they're worried about the mental and emotional impact on their players should the season be cancelled.
"I want people to understand this decision is not clear cut. It's not a decision of sports vs safety. There's health concerns on both sides of it," Wolfe said.
Wolfe and Abell said they understand the concerns for players' safety, but they believe a football season can be done safely under the circumstances of COVID.
"I think a question that has to be asked especially in Louisville, is what is the bigger risk for young people? Is COVID a bigger risk for our young people or is it all the other things you see going on around us?" Abell said.
Abell previously wrote a letter to JCPS Board of Education member Chris Brady stating his concerns about potentially not having fall sports.
"As frightening as COVID-19 and all of its uncertainties may be, for my kids I am frightened of life during quarantine more so," Abell wrote in his letter. "My reasoning behind this letter is not to downplay the severity of COVID-19 and claim the disease isn't a threat to our young people. It is very much a threat. But I want to play fall sports this year because our burning city is a larger one."
Abell argues it's "an impossible question to answer" about which risk is greatest to students during the upcoming school year. He also goes on in his letter to urge the JCPS Board of Education to default to KHSAA's decision for the fate of fall sports.
"KHSAA has always been the governing body of high school athletics. We pay catastrophic insurance to this organization in the event something terrible occurs. And let's face it, if experts truly are unsure as to the lasting effects of COVID-19 and its effects on young people then the KHSAA will likely stop play anyway. I see there being no need in going beyond the state organization," Abell wrote.
KHSAA originally planned to allow high school practices to begin Aug. 24, but that may change after its meeting Thursday morning. In the meantime, players and coaches are hoping for the best.
"I tell my kids all the time, hope is greater than fear," Abell said.
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