LANSING, Mich. — Friday evening, a rally is taking place in front of the Michigan State Capitol to call for high school sports to take place this fall.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced in mid-August that the football season would be postponed until spring because of concerns for COVID-19. Other fall sports are still competing, but that varies on the region. In the Lower Peninsula, some sports are holding outdoor practices but are waiting on the governor to learn the fate of their seasons.
But a group of parents behind an online petition called Let Them Play are planning to rally against this decision; the petition has more than 15,000 signatures.
Some West Michigan student athletes were seen at the rally, coming from Unity Christian, Rockford and Cedar Springs.
"We know the entire country is struggling right now, as is many families who have lost love ones to this virus, but there comes a point where as we have to move forward and we have to start considering the mental health of the kids in this country," the petition says.
Parents and student athletes are concerned about the season getting pushed back, which could affect spring sports and students' opportunity to play college football.
RELATED: Parents 'devastated' their kids won't play football this Fall, asks MHSAA to 'Let Them Play.'
Football is considered a high risk sport for the spread of the virus, because of its level of player-to-player contact, MHSAA says.
The rally is scheduled to take place from 4-7 p.m.
RELATED VIDEO:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.