Athletes petition Inslee, WIAA to allow sports to happen this fall

Washington high school athletes are taking to social media and an online petition in an effort to convince state leaders to allow high school football and other traditional fall sports to take place in its normal form.

Since its unveiling Monday, an online petition created by a group of high school football players calling themselves ‘Student Athletes of Washington’ has more than 22,000 signatures by individuals seeking a reversal of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s decision to move fall sports to spring 2021. The petition is directed at Gov. Jay Inslee and the WIAA, the state’s governing body of high school sports.

A student-led rally also is planned for 4 p.m. Thursday at the state Capitol building in Olympia.

In July, the WIAA announced a modified, four-season sports calendar for the 2020-21 school year after consulting with state health officials and the Governor’s office. Football, along with other sports deemed moderate- and high-risk, was pushed to spring.

The petition comes on what would have been the opening week of Washington’s 2020 football season had the coronavirus pandemic not led to sports postponements and distance learning for most statewide school districts. Washington joins neighboring Oregon as two of 17 state associations to not play football this fall.

Union junior wide receiver Tobias Merriweather, rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports, took to social media Monday to say he’s “all in, and here to represent Union HS and Southwest Washington.”

The group cites feared repercussions of no high school fall sports, including depression, volatile home situations, stress on single-parent households, and lack of college scholarship opportunities.

“We feel that our voice is not one that is being considered or heard,” the petition reads, “as it feels that those in positions to make decisions on our behalf are not looking at things from our collective point of view.”