GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Michigan group "Let Them Play" is once again pushing for the return of high school winter sports Tuesday.
The group is expected to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. detailing a lawsuit they've filed on behalf of athletes and parents. This comes after hundreds marched on the State Capitol over the weekend.
As it currently stands, high school winter contact sports are set to begin on Feb. 21, but the group wants that date moved up. They say not having sports has hurt their kids' mental and physical health.
"Michigan is one of the only states in the nation where high school sports are not taking place and have no start date," the group said in an advisory Tuesday. "It has been proven that athletes can compete safely during the pandemic and Let them Play Michigan is rallying for students across the state to be able to resume sports activities."
State leaders have pushed back the return of high school sports and contact sports because of the new, highly-contagious virus variant, COVID-19 B.1.1.7.
Last month, athletics at the University of Michigan (U-M) were suspended for two weeks following positive cases of B.1.1.7. The suspension paused all athletic activities, including games and team and individual training sessions.
B.1.1.7 spreads more easily between people, but the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) says there is no indication that it affects the clinical outcomes or disease severity compared to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has been circulating across the country and the world for months.
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.
