Mark Uyl, executive director of the Michigan High School Athletic Association says the organization is still working on options for the 60,000 students who want to play winter contact sports including basketball and wrestling. The MHSAA was preparing for the sports to finally begin their seasons in early February, but Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the State Department of Health and Human Services announced contact and competition in those sports would not be allowed until February 21st at the earliest due to the COCVID pandemic. Uyl says the MHSAA will continue asking questions and advocating for all of their schools and athletes as they work toward building their next plans for the delayed seasons. He said the MHSAA will be ready with specific timelines as soon as the state clears contact sports to begin full activity.
Meanwhile, the pushback is mounting in the wake of the latest state order. Tony Hofer told the Menominee School Board Monday night the state could soon be facing legal action.
The legal firm hired by Let Them Play Michigan has sent a letter on Monday to the newly appointed Director of Health and Human Services Elizabeth Hertel asking the latest order be replaced and all sports be allowed to begin February 1st, and laid out several arguments on the safety and benefits of High School Athletics. Hofer says 99.8 percent of rapid tests given to student athletes participating in fall sports which recently completed their tournaments came back negative. Let Them Play Michigan is holding a rally in Lansing Saturday. The organization has about 20,000 followers.
