INDIANAPOLIS — Warren Central and New Palestine are the latest high schools to report football players quarantined after positive COVID-19 tests. Season preparations go on just like when players are injured.
But a new football turf at North Central High School has sat unused for three weeks. When the Washington Township school board decided July 13 that all classes would be online, the board members also shut down extracurricular activities.
Senior student-athletes produced a video asking the board to reconsider. On Monday they did, passing a resolution to allow fall athletics to resume in grades 6-12.
"I want to thank the board members who spread our video and all the parents who helped spread our video and just our message in general,” said Josiah Green, a North Central senior football player.
"I feel like the school now trusts in us,” said Micah Green, Josiah’s twin brother and teammate. “They're not just going off precaution. They can trust us to follow their rules and social distancing expectations."
Monday was the first official day of organized practice for high school fall sports teams all across the state. North Central hopes to have all of its fall sports teams ready to practice by next Monday at the latest.
Soccer restarts Tuesday night for senior Sterling Stewart. She's excited, even if COVID-19 shuts down sports again later.
"At least we got the chance, we got to do a little bit, even if it's not an entire season,” said Stewart. “Whatever happens, we're all going to be happy that everyone was able to contribute something to get it back in motion."
"We know what's it like not to have what we love to do,” said North Central High School athletic director Andy Elkins. “So that's why it's important for our coaches and our kids to realize it can be taken away in the blink of an eye. We are the ones who have to do the right things to make sure we stay open."
Students will come to school only for practice with no locker rooms open except for football.