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Parents push for start of winter sports in Lansing

High school sports put on pause in Michigan due to coronavirus surge

LANSING, Mich. – Parents and student athletes rallied in Lansing Saturday to urge state officials to resume winter sports sooner than the Feb. 21 deadline.

“The kids need to play. It’s very important for their mental health,” said Christian Hutson. “Going forward, these kids need something. They need an outlet.”

READ: Michigan officials considering resuming high school winter sports sooner than planned

While there is still uncertainty of when the country will return to normal, one thing is clear from the hundreds that protested outside of the state capitol -- these parents aren’t backing down.

“All sports are here. It’s not just hockey. It’s not just basketball. There’s football players. There’s a lot of neat stuff happening,” said parent Scott Reoch. “We’re all upset and we all want our kids to play.”

While Feb. 21 is the date the state has in mind for sports to resume, Marcellus High School baseball coach Christian Hutson said that might put athletes in jeopardy of losing much.

“The opportunities that these kids are missing out on are building relationships with their friends and community,” Hutson said. “As a former athlete, that’s one of the best feelings ever to playing in front of a packed house. And they don’t get to experience that and it’s awful. It’s absolutely terrible.”

More: Michigan parents set to file lawsuit demanding restart of high school sports


About the Authors
Victor Williams headshot

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.

Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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