Students Rally At Capitol To Let Youth Sports Resume: 'All We Want To Do Is Play'
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — There's a growing call to let students get back to playing sports in California.
Some athletes brought their demands to the governor Thursday. Student-athletes stood on the steps of the State Capitol making passionate pleas, some breaking down and saying the inability to play isn't just robbing them of valuable scholarships, but wrecking their mental health.
"I wanted to play this sport professionally. I wanted to travel and play nationally. This is about a scholarship that I got taken from me. This is about students and student-athletes not getting to do what they love. This is about our government officials not doing the right thing," Zelbee Radar said.
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One hundred student-athletes delivered 10,000 letters and signatures to Gov. Gavin Newsom's office. They were joined by coaches and parents asking the governor to allow youth and high school sports to start back up immediately.
Sports including football, soccer and volleyball are not allowed to resume until a county reaches the orange tier.
A local football player said sports provide a pathway to opportunity.
"I would be the first McMillan to ever go to college. And I just want to put a legacy out there behind my family as they are watching me do great things. And I can't even do that right now because we're stuck. We're stuck in houses. We're doing online courses. And all we want to do is play," student-athlete CJ McMillan said.
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Gov. Newsom says he is negotiating with advocates for youth sports and hopes to have more clear guidance in a matter of days.
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