Brian Hunter, head coach of the Springbank Phoenix senior boys basketball team, has launched an online petition in hopes of persuading the board of trustees of the Rocky View School Division (RVS) to allow sports teams to play more than league games.
His petition on change.org is asking the board to change the rules and believes some middle ground can be reached that would allow school athletes to have a more fulfilling season.
As it stands, the current return to school operational plan, updated on Jan. 11, eliminates divisional, zone, and tournament play for teams until further notice. For his basketball team, and others, it means the season will end in just a few more games. He says the Phoenix would potentially be playing another 20 games.
Hunter says that's not right, and in a short time, nearly 1,200 people have signed the petition in agreement.
"Every student playing sports right now is devastated," states Hunter in his petition. "The huge amount of time and effort they have spent developing is wasted. For most in high school, these are the last real games they will ever play. I have spoken with over 30 teachers and parents – none agree."
Hunter has been an active coach in the Springbank community for 15 years.
In a phone interview with Cochrane Now, he expanded upon his concern for youth. He says COVID has been hard on everybody, but especially for youth, who have the least choice and are dictated to the most.
"When we make decisions that affect their mental health, their physical health, their overall development, I think we have to be very careful and consider that they don't have an option. So when we do something, it has to be incredibly thoughtful and not just one person making the decision. I think it has to go through a lot of engagement."
The petition calls for a vote by the RVS Board of Trustees on the current policy, and he's holding out hope it will be discussed at tomorrow's (Jan. 20) board meeting.
He says with basketball wrapping up at the end of February, the quicker a decision is made, the better.
"The indications I've had is that the administration will abide by the decision of the board, so ultimately it's in their hands. If they decide not to hear it, I think it would be extremely unfortunate and cause even more outrage in the community. But if they decide to hear it and make some sort of reasonable decision, I think everyone can accept that."
He suggests a middle ground might be to allow divisional and zone playoffs and limit the number of tournaments each team can enter. He says the teams and schools will continue to strictly follow the Alberta Health Service rules in place and have all along.
"Everyone in this province has been diligently following them, and the kids have been excellent about it, which is another reason I found it to be a very difficult decision for the kids."
He's encouraging people to continue signing the petition and to also email their views on the issue, pro or con, to their trustee and copy it to board chair Fiona Gilbert.
The petition and trustee email addresses can be viewed here.