‘Let Them Play’ sends a clear message as thousands flock to the Capitol to protest the winter sports break

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LANSING – The message echoed through the steps of the State Capitol building in Lansing on Saturday afternoon like a bell in a quiet gym.

Thousands of high school coaches, players and parents in Michigan gathered under the organization of the group ‘Let Them Play’ to launch a rallying cry against the prolonged suspension of winter sports such as basketball, ice hockey, wrestling and cheering. competitive.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on January 22, under the guidance of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, that the start of indoor contact sports would be postponed from February 1 to February 21.

Since that time, the group ‘Let Them Play’ has seen its membership expand to more than 36,000 people across the state, as increasing frustration has caused many involved in interschool athletics to make themselves heard.

“There were easily 2,000 people here from across the state to show their support and some people from the Upper Peninsula drove nine hours just to be here today,” said event organizer Jayme McElvany. “The audience was incredible and the children who stood up and spoke really showed the emotions that everyone is going through now.

“I feel like a mother to 60,000 children now and I couldn’t be more proud of them all for continuing to fight for the right to play organized sports for young people. I’m fighting for them all and we’re working together to do what’s right and let them play again. “

MORE: Images of Saturday’s rally at the State Capitol building

McElvany, a Monroe company owner and mother of Milan High School student athlete Cole McElvany, led two previous rallies at the State Capitol that produced positive results.

The group held its first rally on August 28, 2020, when autumn sports such as football, volleyball and soccer were suspended from competitions. After more than 500 fans joined the opening rally, the fall sports season was reinstated six days later.

A second rally was held on December 11, 2020, after sports such as football, volleyball and women’s swimming were stopped by Whitmer and MDHHS on November 15 during the final stages of their respective state tournaments. The group received 22 speakers and attracted another large crowd of over 500 people and helped create the momentum that brought these sports back in January.

“If you can ignore 2,000 kids screaming and begging you to let them play sports again, that is inexplicable,” said McElvany. “I have been adamant about keeping these demonstrations away from politics and creating a friendly message that is simply asking Governor Whitmer to work with us to make this possible.

“There were no political signs, there were no political flags and there was no division here today. We are fighting together as a group and that is what our state government needs to see and what our nation needs to see now.

“Our hope is that this event will show our state government and the health department that we will do whatever it takes to get back to playing sports. If they heard any of those brave children who came here and spoke today, I don’t know how you can disagree. “

The event started at noon and lasted more than two hours, while more than 25 players, coaches, parents and administrators spoke about the effects of the season’s suspension on their communities, schools and the mental health of student-athletes in Michigan.

Congressman Bill Huzinga, accompanied by Senator Dale Zorn, spoke to the crowd about how suicide rates among teenagers during the pandemic soared. Ryan McNeil, a fighter from Montrose High School, admitted to the crowd during his speech that he also sometimes struggled to find a reason to continue.

“I didn’t even tell my parents that, but when the sport was taken from us, I definitely fell into a dark place,” he told the crowd. “I kind of thought there was nothing else in life for me, but luckily, my great teammates, coaches and friends helped me along the way. This cannot be said for all other athletes in this state. “

Winter contact sports have been allowed to participate in non-contact exercises and socially distant team activities since January 16, but for Ethan Coady of Coopersville High School, the wait to return to organized competition is like a carrot being swung in front of a race horse.

“It’s not the same,” he said of non-contact practices. “It feels more like running training than basketball, because we are just running and shooting and keeping away from each other all the time. It’s a shame to see my teammates and so many other athletes out there fighting and not being in a good position, so I wanted to be proactive and get involved.

“We just want to get back to a normal life and part of that is bringing the sport back.”

Saturday’s rally may just be the start of a longer battle for McElvany, as the group Let Them Play has gained non-profit status, raised more than $ 50,000 through a GoFundMe page, and hired the attorney for Peter Ruddell Lansing to bring legal action against the state if the February 21 deadline is not terminated until the end of the weekend.

“We were going to file it a few days ago, but we were having positive discussions with the health department and decided that we would wait to see how this rally would change the momentum of this fight to bring the sport back,” said McElvany. “We don’t want to start the process, but we will continue to put pressure on our children. I am asking Governor Whitmer to put our differences aside and come together and do the right thing for these children. “

One of the biggest causes of frustration for those present on Saturday is the science and data that was collected when the MDHSS and Michigan High School Athletic Association conducted 30,000 tests during their initial pilot test program in December. According to MHSAA’s executive director, Mark Uyl, these tests returned with a negative rate of 99.8%.

During a virtual press conference on Friday morning, Uyl said 38 other states are competing in winter sports, including neighboring states like Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio. Uyl also estimated that about 60,000 student-athletes in Michigan participate in basketball, wrestling, hockey and competitive cheering.

For Shannon Badgero, Tri-Unity Christian women’s football coach and board member of the group ‘Let Them Play’, seeing her eldest daughter Nataleigh continue to have opportunities stolen from her was enough to make her want to scream.

“I have a daughter from last year who has already missed the junior football season and now runs the risk of losing the last basketball season,” she said. “Sometimes it is irritating because these children are at risk of losing everything they worked for since they were children and that is unacceptable to my eyes.”

As she watched the crowd filling the lawn of the State Capitol building on Saturday, Badgero was moved by the passion that so many others showed.

“I don’t know if there are adjectives to describe it,” she said. “It is very moving to be a part of it and to hear some of these children’s stories is heartbreaking. I don’t think that some people realize the importance of sports in the lives of some people and the opportunities that sports can provide people. ”

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MORE HIGH SCHOOL MLIVE SPORT COVERAGE

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The process is ready, but Let Them Play hopes the weekend rally will bring results

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Five things to know about Let Them Play and its fight for high school sports

MHSAA presses for winter contact sports to begin before the February 21 MDHHS date