UPDATE: MCPS Football Players, Coaches Rally To Save Their Season – Is it Safe?

Update to previous article on this subject: https://moderatelymoco.com/mcps-football-season-sacked-by-county-in-surprise-reversal-despite-decreasing-covid-rates/. Title Photo Credit: Julie Anderson

MCPS students attending rally to allow football to be played. Photo Credit: Julie Anderson

Notes on Safety of Football

To start, MCPS Coaches are voluntary positions. Most are also MCPS staff and have more likely than not been offered the opportunity for a vaccine.

In late January 2021, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) revised its May 2020 guidance (which was previously used to guide standards for high school sports COVID risk): https://www.nfhs.org/articles/nfhs-revises-guidance-on-covid-19-transmission-during-high-school-sports/

The updated guidance can be found here: https://www.nfhs.org/media/4295118/nfhs-smac-statement-on-risk-of-covid-19-during-high-school-sports-january-27-2021-final.pdf

CDC Study of NFL season showed that with some simple mitigation protocols (including many in use in Moco such as masking and not going indoors) football can be played safely: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7004e2.htm

A recent study involved a rugby game with close proximity outdoor tackling where COVID positive players did not transmit to others: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/10/bjsports-2020-103714

American Academy of Pediatrics also weighs in that the highest risk are indoor settings and shared meals/transportation around sports. The sports themselves outdoors are lower risk and cases are likely to reflect community infection rates. https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/covid-19-interim-guidance-return-to-sports/

Players interviewed at rally by @RealChadRicardo

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1371179527255244801/pu/vid/1280x720/qdHdWQtCBIYsdYrI.mp4?tag=12

Originally tweeted by Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo) on March 14, 2021.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1371188801771597824/pu/vid/1280x720/54KBb9AcXHjb1IW5.mp4?tag=12

Originally tweeted by Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo) on March 14, 2021.

Coaches interviewed at rally by @RealChadRicardo

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1371219624134598667/pu/vid/1280x720/KRSqZAhJIly-zpRj.mp4?tag=12

Originally tweeted by Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo) on March 14, 2021.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1371238739649908741/pu/vid/1280x720/vp-y7hiKHgv5-JfC.mp4?tag=12

Originally tweeted by Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo) on March 14, 2021.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1371201948632899591/pu/vid/1280x720/jGlE5nb7O55DmAhO.mp4?tag=12

Originally tweeted by Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo) on March 14, 2021.

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1371208039651536897/pu/vid/1280x720/sZINE0vDFlaKNU4K.mp4?tag=12

Originally tweeted by Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo) on March 14, 2021.

Additional Pictures from Rally (posted with photographers’ permission)

Photo Credit: Chad Ricardo (@RealChadRicardo)
Photo Credit: Julie Anderson
Photo Credit: Julie Anderson

Montgomery County Council Twitter Response

Today, the County Council responded to one of our inquiries as you can see in the image below. We asked if this tweet means that practices can occur with pads for less than 50 people and have not yet heard a reply.

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/MoCoCouncilMD/status/1371277373379915776

Other articles on the rally

We appreciate the link here from WTOP to our previous article: https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2021/03/athletes-and-parents-rally-to-pressure-montgomery-co-to-allow-football-games/

Players Chant ‘Let Us Play’ in Protest of Council Disallowing Contact Football Games
Montgomery County Players, Parents Protest COVID-19 Restrictions on Some High School Sports