Student-athletes tell JoCo commissioners to 'let them play'

You would never think the path to a high school state championship would run through the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, but it did Thursday for events sanctioned by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

SCHOOL-SANCTIONSPORTS TOOK CENTERSTAGE TODAY IN JOHNSONCOUNTY.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER MCKENZIENELSON TALKED TOFAMILIES WHO WANTEDTHEIR VOICES HEARDBEFORE THE COUNTGIVES RECOMMEDATIONSON HOW TO PROCEEDWITH FALL SPORTS.MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGYOU'D NEVER THINK THATTHE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPWOULD RUN THROUGHTHE JOHNSON COUNTYBOARD OFCOMMISSIONERS MEETINGBUT FOR THE SAKE OFFALL SPORTS ANDACTIVITIES, TODAY ITDOES.ANDY SIMEROTH - SENIOR, BLUEVALLEY HIGH SCHOOL"I think it's awesome, it showsus how many people areactually fighting with us andwant the same thing as us."LET THEM PLAY WAS THEMESSAGE THAT STUDENTSAND PARENTS DELIVEREDTO THE BOARD ONTHURSDAY.ETHAN HUNT - SENIOR, BLUEVALLEY NORTHWEST HIGHSCHOOL"We also addressed how likethe positive COVID-19 testrate is only for people who aretested and if it was based othe Johnson county populationas a whole, then there wouldbe such a small percentage,less than one, so we feel likeour season is beingjeopardized based on falsepercentages."THE JOHNSON COUNDEPARTMENT OF HEALTHUSES GATING CRITERIA TOHELP SCHOOLS ANDPARENTS MAKEDECISIONS.THEY PARTNERED WITHSCHOOL DISTRICTS TOCREATE THE FORMAT.DR. SANMI AREOLA - JOHNSONCOUNTY PUBLIC HEALTHDIRECTOR"When we put out the gatingcriteria, it is safer to opentheschools when the level oftransmission in the communityis low."BASED ON THE GATINCRITERIA- THERE MUST BEFIVE PERCENT OR LESS OFPOSITIVE TESTS ANDDECREASING CASES INTHE COUNTY IN ORDERFOR STUDENT ATHLETESTO DO MORE THANCONDITION AND PRACTICE.SIMEROTH"It doesn't really feel like tsame normal practice as itwas a year ago."THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTHAS NOT YET MADE AFORMALRECOMMENDATIONALTHOUGH SCHOOLDISTRICTS WILL HAVE THEFINAL SAY.HUNT"They're gating criteria iswhat's going to impact thedistricts decision and whilethey say that they can't danything to stop them or makethe districts decision for them,they really have a huge impaon what they say."PARENTS ARE CONCERNEDA CANCELATION COULDIMPACT THEIR CHILDSPHYSICAL AND HEALTH.CHRISTINE VASQUEZ - PARENT INBLUE VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT"My biggest concern is, I don'tthink we're taking into accountthat we're causing a byproductthat's actually higher risk forthem than COVID-19 is."MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGNEXT WEEK THE DIRECTOROF PUBLIC HEALTH WILLMEET WITH THESUPERINTENDENTS OFEACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TODISCUSS THE FUTURE OFFALL SPORTS ANDACTIVITIES.

REPORTING INOLATHE, MCKENZIENELSON, 41 ACT