Families protest WJCC winter cancellation

Lafayette swimmer Aidan Crisci acknowledges the good intentions of Williamsburg-James City County Schools in canceling high school winter sports because of COVID-19 concerns. But, like 30 others rallying in opposition at the school division offices Friday, he feels the decision made last week is ill-considered.

Marching under the banner of “Save WJCC Winter Sports 20202021,” those on hand addressed issues such as competing safely amid a pandemic that is surging and the mental health issues for students denied that opportunity. Their disappointment is exacerbated by the fact that WJCC is the only system in Hampton Roads with multiple high schools to opt out of winter sports at this time.

“Lots of counties around us are competing, and our club team (the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins) has been able to practice and compete since summer,” he said. “We should be able to compete.”

Crisci said the Blue Dolphins have practiced and competed safely by encouraging social distancing at all times and mask-wearing on the pool decks. Because of that, his parents, Kelley and Jeff Crisci, have been comfortable with their son swimming for the Blue Dolphins and fine with him competing for Lafayette High.

“The kids are just checking out of school life and not as much a part of the community,” Jeff Crisci said. “They should be able to contest sports such as swimming and track and field that are non-contact.”

But Tara and Eric Hurt, whose son Brogan wrestles for Lafayette, feel even contact sports are feasible with correct protocols such as temperature checks and daily written surveys. If implemented, they have no problem with their son wrestling.

“If you have two young, healthy wrestlers without symptoms, I trust they can wrestle one-on-one, just as with any other interaction,” Eric Hurt said. “They’re already interacting with their friends, and we’ve shown that for young kids, COVID is not the risk it is for other people.”

The bigger risk, Tara and Eric Hurt feel, is the negative emotional effect on kids stuck at home, unable to compete. Caroline Bauer, a distance runner for Jamestown’s track team, agrees.

“It’s just horrible on their mental health,” Tara Hurt said. “These kids are just suffering all day.

“My son is sitting in front of a computer where he can’t be with his phenomenal coach (Chris Wiatt) — a person we want him to be with.”

Jamestown parent Sam Buirski, the group organizer, says that if other school districts follow WJCC’s lead and cancel winter sports, she’d like to see as many of those sports as possible incorporated into the “fall” season (postponed now to February) or spring season.

“We’d at least like to see them come up with something,” Buirski said. “Right now they’re saying, ‘We’re done, we’re canceled,’ and that’s not OK.

“Children will have to choose one sport over another (they might normally play in high school), but they have to do that anyway.”