“The Dam has Broken for Youth Sports” Say Parents and Kids
Sacramento – California youth sports were played in the State Capital this weekend as a high school football team played a competitive match and 50 volleyball teams from around the state played here, despite a sports ban in the purple zone.
“We continuing to work with Gov. Gavin Newsom and his staff to officially bring sports back,” said Brad Hensley of Let Them Play CA. “But it is clear the dam has broken within the shadow of the State Capitol. The Governor needs to take quick action to approve sports throughout the State as he has pledged to our kids.”
The Sacramento Bee carried front webpage coverage of the Capital Christian High School football game from Friday night, which was the first time in 14 months sports were openly played as part of the California Association of Private Sports’ debut weekend.
It is also known that 50 teams of girls’ volleyball players in the Omni Volleyball Club played at three separate sites in a Rancho Cordova tournament, Let Them Play CA officials said.
“The Governor and his staff must look at the science and data that shows it’s safe for youth and high school sports and they must allow them now. Otherwise the Governor and the State are wrongly turning kids, parents and coaches into lawbreakers,” Hensley added.
“There is a mass-rejection of the Governor’s polices against youth sports,” the Let Them Play CA leader said. “We continue to work with the Governor, but the floodgates have broken. It’s time for him and his staff to acknowledge the science that shows these games are safe,” Hensley added.
Gov. Newsom publically pledged to take immediate action last week to bring back youth sports, but then his press secretary wrote it would be “two weeks” before an announcement–an action that has enraged and activated thousands of kids and parents against Newsom and his health department staff.
There is a growing movement within the ranks of parents and kids that should the Governor continue to delay and not allow youth and high school sports that they could be the largest, most active and organized group that could make a difference to the Governor’s ability to hold, or not hold, office in a possible recall campaign, according to political observers.
“The speed with which Let Them Play CA has been able to organize shows that the parents’ group could be a potent force in the recall campaign,” said one well-placed political consultant who asked that their name not be used. “The fate of the Governor may actually be tied to the decision he makes on this issue alone. It could be the straw that breaks Newsom’s political back.”
Background
“Let Them Play CA” supports the opening and playing of youth and high school sports by the state government. The group has amassed nearly 60,000 members on Facebook, averaging a growth of 2,000 new members per day. Two athletes have teamed with Let Them Play CA in filing a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court against state officials including Gov. Newsom and the County.
This past week, more than 100 student athletes, coaches and parents delivered 10,000 personal letters and signatures to the Capitol asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to allow youth and high school sports to start immediately as data and science demonstrate it is safe for them to play. The continuing ban on these sports is having a major negative impact on students’ scholarships, futures and mental and physical health and–without quick action–could cause irreparable harm to California’s youths.
Support for an immediate safe return to youth and high school sports continues to gain momentum with nearly half the California State Assembly members signing a resolution in support and urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to allow football, baseball, basketball and other prep sports to start immediately as has been done in nearly every other state in the nation.
Join Let Them Play CA at https://www.facebook.com/groups/850089599174086/