Delayed winter sports start frustrates Norwalk parents
NORWALK — Tuesday marked the beginning of winter sports practices for students across Connecticut — but not for Norwalk.
The CIAC approved a plan to allow its members to begin practice on Jan. 19. But on Jan. 15, city parents, coaches and athletes received an email that the athletic departments’ winter sports plan still needed approval from district leaders and the Norwalk Health Department.
The email said followup meetings to discuss the plan were scheduled for the next week, but a timeline for approval was not set. Officials only said they would provide an update next week, leaving Norwalk’s high school athletes sidelined indefinitely. This did not sit well with parents, who expressed their displeasure at Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.
Edward Phillip, the parent of a Norwalk student athlete, questioned why the plan was not approved sooner and why the district could not provide a timeline on when it would be approved.
“Last night a few thousand high school athletes across the state went to bed excited for the first day of practice,” he said at the meeting. “Countless others in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey went to sleep excited about games they have today. Across Norwalk a few hundred athletes went to be confused, sad and anxious. ... Why would we add more uncertainty to their lives? But that’s exactly what the city did on Friday.”
Jeff Fatone, president of Norwalk Junior Football
League, echoed Phillip’s sentiments.
“We went through this in the fall,” he said. “We were in contact with the mayor. It just didn’t go anywhere. What is the city going to do now to get these dates open so we can have these athletes
start training?
The district’s chief communications officer Brenda Wilcox Williams said Tuesday that each high school came up with its own winter sports plan following CIAC’s plans. But she did not say when these plans would be approved.
“Indoor sports require extra attention to make sure we are operating safely,” she said. “Our athletic directors and district leaders are working closely with the Norwalk Health Department to make sure that the plans satisfy all required health protocols. We have follow up meetings scheduled this week for review and further guidance. We understand our student athletes are eager to get started, but health and safety needs to come first.”
Other districts nearby, such as New Canaan and Wilton, were able to begin practices Tuesday. Andrew Bella said the Wilton girls on his daughter’s hockey team were allowed to practice, while the Norwalk girls could not join.
“I have looked at virtually every town in Fairfield County and cannot find another one holding back their children,” he said at the meeting. “I don’t understand why. It makes no sense to me. Whoever is making decisions at least owes their constituency an answer and if you can’t provide it, let the kids play.”
Phillip said Norwalk student athletes were told practices would be able to begin Tuesday pending a meeting with the superintendent on Jan. 15, but it seemed, based on the email sent out, that meeting did not happen.
“It certainly appears that meeting didn’t take place,” he said. “Why? Actions or inactions speak louder than words. School districts across the state were able to digest the info and develop and approve plans for winter sports ... but somehow Norwalk couldn’t . ... The students of the district have been waiting patiently. The least the leadership could’ve done is provided a clear expectation for the delay and what the timeline going forward for the decision process will be.”
This is not the first time the district has come under fire for communication regarding school sports programs. During the fall sports season, parents could not get an answer as to why spectators were not allowed to watch games.