CHSAA Resubmits Proposals For Football To Gov. Jared Polis Amid Protests
DENVER (CBS4)- The Colorado High School Activities Association, or CHSAA, says it is resubmitting proposals for football and other sports to Gov. Jared Polis' office. The announcement follows a day of protests over CHSAA's decision to push the fall football season to the spring due to COVID-19 concerns.
Polis says his office is working with CHSAA to approve variances for football. At a news conference Friday, he said there might be a window open for a fall season, but it would depend on if enough districts are ready to play.
Student athletes at a protest on the corner of Colorado Boulevard and University Boulevard on Friday afternoon said they've been ready for a long time.
High school football players are used to getting ready for the big game on Friday. Instead, Denver metro area players and parents protested CHSAA's decision to delay fall football to spring.
"Today would be week 4," said Vann Schield, a Rock Canyon High School Senior. "We don't have that same energy; we don't have that same drive that we usually do on Fridays."
His dad, Trent Schield organized the protest, and started a petition to let athletes play. Almost 15,000 people have signed to stand up for the future of these athletes.
"My son is a 2021'er. He's been training since he was 6 years old," the father told CBS4's Andrea Flores. "He eats, sleeps, and drinks football, so just watching is hard."
RELATED: CHSAA Votes To Keep 2020-2021 High School Sports Schedule
Players from several area schools came together to fight for a fall season.
"Some kids who were expecting offers going into their senior year, because colleges are needing that senior film, aren't going to have that chance now if we play in the spring," said Chris Worthing, a Senior at Heritage High School. "It's not right. It isn't fair."
With potential college scholarships on the line, players are holding out hope they'll play under the Friday night lights before it's too late.
"It's our lives, it's our futures at stake, and we should be getting these opportunities that every other state that's playing football is getting," Vann Schield said.
