LYNN — Players and coaches gathered in front of Lynn City Hall Tuesday to share their frustrations with the city’s decision to cancel winter sports for the three public schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And the overriding theme of the day was that the decision isn’t in the best interest of the student-athletes that it’s hurting.
“This is my hometown, and playing sports here is what got me out,” said English boys basketball coach Antonio Anderson, whose team is coming off back-to-back Division 1 state titles. “There were a lot of different routes I could’ve taken in life, but playing winter sports allowed me to get a free education at the University of Memphis, get a degree, play professional basketball and then come back to my city and be a positive role model for some of these kids. And that’s why we’re here, to have City Hall be able to hear us speak and tell them why this is so important for these kids. It’s more than just sports.”
“The decision to come down here and make our voices heard is something we didn’t take lightly,” said Lynn Jets hockey coach Mike Roberts, whose team is made up of kids from all three Lynn public schools. “The MIAA and the EEA have decided that it’s safe enough to play these sports with the proper precautions in place, so it’s a tough pill to swallow when you get the “OK” from the state and then the city steps in and says no.”
Other coaches continued to emphasize the impact that these decisions are having on the student-athletes themselves.
“We were hired to our positions because the city trusts us to take care of their kids during the season,” said Tech football coach James Runner. “But we’re also here to take care of our kids when we’re not in season. And at the end of the day, the impact of not having sports on these kids’ mental health is astronomical. I’m sure the crime rate is up, the rates of depression are up and I can only imagine the kind of mental stress has come down on parents.
“I definitely agree that safety and mask-wearing is the most important thing that should be done,” Runner added. “The city of Lynn has been impacted majorly by COVID-19, but sports have always been a large part of our community and we have to remember that as well. A lot of us survived because of sports and went to college because of sports, and we can’t forget that.”
And for the players, who just want to get back out on the field, the decision is a tough one to take.
“This is a big deal for us because for a lot of us it’s our senior year and there’s no going back from here,” said Christoper Jimenez, a senior at Tech who plays football and swims. “We all came into this year hoping to play our final games, and it’s all been ripped away from us in a second.”
“I think it’s really not fair for the seniors,” said Tech sophomore Vincent Marino, a three-sport athlete who plays football, swims and runs track. “Even though I have two years left, I feel bad for my teammates who could miss their final season of high school. It’s also hard to not have anything to do every day when we would usually be playing our sports.”
