[ad_1]
Mahalo for helping Honolulu Star Advertiser. Have fun with this free story!
The Oahu Interscholastic Public School Association’s postponement of fall sports on Wednesday due to the spike in COVID-19 cases has spurred the families of student athletes to action.
An online petition – “Allow Oahu High School Sports to be playing” – closed with 5,000 signatures Thursday afternoon, just a day after it was posted by Richard Tuason on change.org, but the next step could be in court – and not the kind with a network.
In January, soccer parents filed a lawsuit in San Diego against California Governor Gavin Newsom. In the spring, when the number of new coronavirus cases was falling, Newsom allowed pre-season football to return in the spring.
“There are actually people who do that and put the lawsuit together,” said local promoter and marketer Al Medeiros. âI was up until 2am talking to people. That is the biggest step. We can keep our signs on the side of the road, but we have to go through the judicial system. We have to do it before September before it’s officially commissioned. It could become a law and become permanent. “
The DOE announced on Wednesday that players would need to be vaccinated. Even with a religious or medical exception, players will be tested twice a week – at your own expense.
Many choose to have a vaccination.
“We have a handful of people (at Kahuku) who are not vaccinated, but I think most of them will be able to play football,” said senior junior linebacker Liona Lefau. “I am vaccinated.”
Lefau said the players were aware of the petition.
âThat would be cool too. We just hope for a full season, âadded Lefau. “We just hope that there will be playoffs this year so that we can fight for the OIA (title) together with the national championship.”
Some players have moved to states like Nevada and Utah, where restrictions were less common and a fall season was more likely, but others have chosen to stay there no matter what.
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Lefau. âAs a team, we made the decision to stay in Kahuku in the hope that our season would not be canceled. My message to my teammates is to stay positive and use this time to work on yourself in the weight room as well as on the field. Do not lose hope!”
Medeiros has a daughter who plays high school volleyball. He’s spent much of his time supporting causes close to his heart – he signed the petition.
âI fought for the Mauna, for Haleakala. I talk about a lot of different things. I compare that to Mauna Kea, and that’s bigger. We had 20,000 marches back then, so we should have more for it, âhe said. âThe youth should not be punished or given an ultimatum. Most of our student athletes do not receive a scholarship unless they are engaged in a sport. You’ve been training the whole time and now you have to quit by (end) September or pay $ 100 a week to get tested. “
The next step, aside from filing a lawsuit, will be something that hasn’t happened since the pandemic began.
âI want us to be at the schools and hospitals on Monday. I address everyone in the churches and schools on every island. We want young people to have their say and have a voice, âsaid Medeiros. âAll of us who influence the lives of our youth, whose jobs depend on them. I hope people keep coming together to fight this. It is our time to fight for the youth. We waited too long to fight for them. “
Meanwhile, Roosevelt’s standout linebacker Kaeo Akana and his teammates as they face another challenge posed by this pandemic are trying to stay positive.
âWe had a meeting (Wednesday). There was some disappointment and some frustration, but nothing extraordinary, âsaid the junior. âNothing has changed for me. We can have several ways of looking at this. We decided to see this as a chance to get in better shape, to get stronger, to get better – a second chance to get in season shape. Since we have a choice how we look at it, I think it’s the best way. “
Akana has scholarship offers from some of the best football programs in the country.
âBubba (his brother, who plays baseball at the University of Hawaii) and I ran in the morning. I lifted with Marcus (Kimura, his trainer) at BodyFix, came to school, then we will practice football in the afternoon, âhe said. “As usual.”
The private school Interscholastic League of Honolulu is also affected by the postponement, as the two leagues are playing inter-league games. According to ‘Iolani’s football coordinator Wendell Look, schools are prepared to play a full ILH schedule.
“We have a Plan B plan ready if necessary,” said Look. “(‘Iolani) practices as always.”
This also applies to other ILH soccer teams.
[ad_2]
Related posts:
- 3 Honolulu police officers charged with killing 16-year-old boy
- Honolulu City Council member calls for more local produce at farmers’ markets
- As the wars end, Congress visits the powers of the President – Honolulu, Hawaii
- HFD transports hikers from the Diamond Head Crater Trail, Maunawili Falls Trail