#LetthemplayCA

When you can’t change City Hall it’s time to find a new city. Best of luck with your efforts but if I were you I would be looking for a more citizen friendly place to live.

Los Angeles is too important to turn your back on it! Great baseball weather too! Our children deserve better from our elected and appointed officials!

@Los Angeles 2021 Parent posted:

Los Angeles is too important to turn your back on it! Great baseball weather too! Our children deserve better from our elected and appointed officials!

We all deserve better from our elected and appointed officials.

I appreciate what you are doing, and hope you have success.  LA schools are bought and paid for by the teachers unions, and they don't want to open the schools so it will be a tough fight.  I will get busy on Monday to help your effort out.  You should also join the effort to recall Governor Newsom.

In the meantime, you have to do what you can to help your own kids improve and advance on your own, and as many have/are doing travel to LV or AZ or TX to play.

Don’t forget what has happened during the following election cycles the leaders come up for election. If you vote everyone out the new leaders will get the message.

Our school board had nine members with three year terms. Three seats came up each year. They made a decision more than 75% of the parents disagreed. We voted three out. The other six changed their position. First and foremost politicians believe in what keeps them in office.

@Los Angeles 2021 Parent posted:

Los Angeles is too important to turn your back on it! Great baseball weather too! Our children deserve better from our elected and appointed officials!

With over 1/10th  of the county's population with confirmed cases, and over 8k cases reported yesterday, hospitals turning away patients because they are are full, how can they open schools and allow organized sports?

It's out of control. Seriously.

If you want support, what are you and others doing to help stop the spread? 

@TPM posted:

With over 1/10th  of the county's population with confirmed cases, and over 8k cases reported yesterday, hospitals turning away patients because they are are full, how can they open schools and allow organized sports?

It's out of control. Seriously.

Very good points. One of the scary bits of data out this week: in November about one in eight admitted to LA County hospitals for CoVid died. Now it’s one in four.  

But to turn back to baseball, here is my view of Dodger Stadium a few days ago. I hope to be back for a game there soon.

Shutting down youth activities because have COVID has got to have a negative impact on teen suicide and drug overdose.

There are also studies out that say shutdowns are only as effective as social distancing and masks. Unfortunately studies these days often tend to support the position of whomever is paying for them.  But it does make sense that if you control the spread of respiratory particles you will control the spread of the disease.  Make that limit not control.

@TPM posted:

With over 1/10th  of the county's population with confirmed cases, and over 8k cases reported yesterday, hospitals turning away patients because they are are full, how can they open schools and allow organized sports?

It's out of control. Seriously.

If you want support, what are you and others doing to help stop the spread?

I  hear you. And maybe the new variants are contagious enough to keep the state shut down. But as I posted on another thread, here are the facts to date:

@TPM posted:

With over 1/10th  of the county's population with confirmed cases, and over 8k cases reported yesterday, hospitals turning away patients because they are are full, how can they open schools and allow organized sports?

It's out of control. Seriously.

If you want support, what are you and others doing to help stop the spread?

Our high school has suffered 1 suicide and 0 deaths from other causes this year. If you have children you know the positives of athletics far outweigh the risks—otherwise you would not drive and fly to tournaments across the state and country (automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for young people).

If you do not want your child to participate due to the perceived risk I’m not asking you to join. Others will gladly fill your son’s roster spot if we were to play tomorrow. But please do think it over and consider joining the movement!

The evidence of kids college age and younger dying of Covid from playing sports just doesn’t exist.

As for east coast hockey Hockey East (college) is playing. When there are issues games are rescheduled. The same for Massachusetts high school hockey.

A doctor in CA explained to me that they have fewer hospitals per capita than most states, because years ago they were required to conform to more strict earthquake codes, and many hospitals closed rather than adapt or rebuild. They thus had the minimum hospitals for normal times, and obviously far too few for a pandemic. That's why the transmission rate in CA is similar to other states, but the hospital situation is more dire, and so they are more worried than other states about having more cases. They really did need to flatten the curve.

I agree that there is very little risk from playing baseball. College students don't have much risk, either, especially if they are being tested often. But, I guess every infected person can lead to a hospitalization somewhere down the line.

@anotherparent posted:

A doctor in CA explained to me that they have fewer hospitals per capita than most states, because years ago they were required to conform to more strict earthquake codes, and many hospitals closed rather than adapt or rebuild. They thus had the minimum hospitals for normal times, and obviously far too few for a pandemic. That's why the transmission rate in CA is similar to other states, but the hospital situation is more dire, and so they are more worried than other states about having more cases. They really did need to flatten the curve.

I agree that there is very little risk from playing baseball. College students don't have much risk, either, especially if they are being tested often. But, I guess every infected person can lead to a hospitalization somewhere down the line.

The point of the petition is that the majority of other states, nearly all of which have far less resources than California, have figured out how to resume high school athletics. Our elected and appointed officials should be acting with urgency to return athletics to our high school age population to improve their physical and emotional well-being.

@Los Angeles 2021 Parent posted:

Our high school has suffered 1 suicide and 0 deaths from other causes this year. If you have children you know the positives of athletics far outweigh the risks—otherwise you would not drive and fly to tournaments across the state and country (automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for young people).

If you do not want your child to participate due to the perceived risk I’m not asking you to join. Others will gladly fill your son’s roster spot if we were to play tomorrow. But please do think it over and consider joining the movement!

I understand and I am in agreement with you.

I was just pointing out how bad COVID is in LA county.  Wouldn't or shouldn't the first step be to control the virus?  I know that it takes a lot of hard work, planning and hours and hours to get a college team from first day of practice to first game of the season.   There is HS sports going on in Florida and I am sorry it's not happening everywhere.

It is true that young adults do not get very ill from COVID.  The issue is bringing it home to family members, and as pointed out by anotherparent, lack of hospitals, which I guess seems to be a really big problem.

Best of luck.

@DD 2024 posted:

With many teams now traveling beyond CA to compete, the exact opposite behavior of what a 'stay at home' order is intended to encourage, one could argue that playing sports locally, with mandatory mask use and enforced social distancing for fans is a better, safer solution than the current blanket ban.

This right here. You are not going to stop kids from playing. The kids that want to play, will find a way. They are going to go to AZ, TX, FL, etc. We are seeing this in our organization. We are getting lots of calls and emails from kids in states who are shutdown asking about coming to play. Heck we are getting kids from Hawaii asking about coming to play.  It was evident last weekend in the PG event here. 26 teams from California came to play. Also saw it on the PB Area Code identifier event in AZ today. Bunch of kids from California were there.

I checked out the movement on twitter and there is great support.

Hoping that all of you out that way, can work something out!

TPM:

Maybe the parents, who believe in playing could form their own league, hire umpires, rent a field, hire the coaches, have medical personal available, wavier release, set the rules on masks, temp checking, pitch counts, equipment, purchase baseballs, invite college coaches, run metrics, film the games, purchase accident and liability insurance and select sponsors.

"Let them play" is not the solution, Common sense is!

Bob

@Consultant posted:

TPM:

Maybe the parents, who believe in playing could form their own league, hire umpires, rent a field, hire the coaches, have medical personal available, wavier release, set the rules on masks, temp checking, pitch counts, equipment, baseballs, invite college coaches, run metrics, film the games.

"Let them play" is not the solution, Common sense is!

Bob

Bob,

What you are suggesting is one viable option that is currently against the law, but should be under consideration. The state has prioritized resources for other activities so if there is a framework independent of the current scholastic high school system we welcome those alternative options. Again, the movement is to find an acceptable path forward to let student athletes play immediately, not to circumvent any precautions or best practices. If additional resources outside of the state-provided resources exist, such as the need to recruit community volunteers in addition to state and local officials, then let’s identify the shortfalls and work on a fix together.

Do you have a lawyer in your group. Contact the CIF https://www.cifstate.org/sports/baseball/index

to determine their scope of control over "private" teams.

Bob

High schools in California are traveling to other states as a team. Lot of the So-Cal teams go to the 5 tool tournaments in Arizona or Texas.

The CIF may not sanction high school athletic contests because the California Department of Health has not declared high school sports essential. Professional sports are considered essential.

The movement is to get high school sports declared essential so the CIF plan may be executed.

By the Department of Health guidelines baseball is a red tier sport and football is even more at risk of cancellation as an orange tier sport. This tier structure makes it highly unlikely students will play in Los Angeles any time soon. Decoupling high school sports by declaring them essential is the only sure-fire way to ensure the students have an avenue to get back on the field and play.

Shadow leagues forming and playing in other states to avoid restrictions is completely opposite of what we are trying to achieve.

@Los Angeles 2021 Parent posted:

The CIF may not sanction high school athletic contests because the California Department of Health has not declared high school sports essential. Professional sports are considered essential.

That sounds like some deep, heavy science right there...

Our Governor declared sports essential biz so all sports all ages play.

the group is a bunch of crazy parents, imo.  I joined it, expecting a group with a focus of brainstorming and implementing ideas for a safe return to sports.  instead, it's parents demanding an immediate return too normalcy, downplaying the pandemic and shouting down, en mass, anyone who dares suggest a more measured approach and consideration.  I had a post comment deleted and the only thing i can figure is that i pointed out that someone's calculations were incorrect.  a recent post suggested that, while the virus doesn't seem to affect youth as severely, perhaps the reason for shutting down is the fact that the kids could bring the virus home to more vulnerable family members.   the poster was flamed and told to "leave the group" if he wanted to keep the kids off the field (he never suggested anything like that).

if the group could have started with the premise that the virus is real, that there could be steps taken to make a return to sports safe and that both sides need to work together to come up with a solution, then it could have made some good inroads to solving the problem.  instead, it's a bunch of entitled parents demanding everything they want and conceding nothing.

@mattys posted:

the group is a bunch of crazy parents, imo.  I joined it, expecting a group with a focus of brainstorming and implementing ideas for a safe return to sports.  instead, it's parents demanding an immediate return too normalcy, downplaying the pandemic and shouting down, en mass, anyone who dares suggest a more measured approach and consideration.  I had a post comment deleted and the only thing i can figure is that i pointed out that someone's calculations were incorrect.  a recent post suggested that, while the virus doesn't seem to affect youth as severely, perhaps the reason for shutting down is the fact that the kids could bring the virus home to more vulnerable family members.   the poster was flamed and told to "leave the group" if he wanted to keep the kids off the field (he never suggested anything like that).

if the group could have started with the premise that the virus is real, that there could be steps taken to make a return to sports safe and that both sides need to work together to come up with a solution, then it could have made some good inroads to solving the problem.  instead, it's a bunch of entitled parents demanding everything they want and conceding nothing.

There are 48600+ persons in the group, and there are sure to be a variety of opinions. I don’t think you have characterized the group correctly—in our local area the movement was first supported by our high school football coaches. We received some encouraging news last night that the governor’s representatives met for the first time with the group. Also we are told to expect some changes overall in the state’s lockdown order. Thanks for joining the group. If you haven’t done so already please contact your local elected officials and tell them this is an important issue to you!

this thread can be summed up as LOL California! good luck.

Those that returned to normal aren't in a much different spot than California.  They can learn to live with this or let everyone move to states where they can live (just not Texas).

PG is holding another high school age tournament in the Houston area. There are handful of California teams coming.

Open letter signed by California elected officials asking the governor to open youth sports immediately. Thanks to everyone who has written their representatives!

I guess this is one of several reasons why I am not in politics or the inside of corporate America, I want to puke just reading that damn letter and I think it is good. It is almost as if they are begging Don Corleone for approval. Please let our children live lives and promise I will be indebted forever to your wisdom...I would rather tell him to F@@@ off.

on a lighter and happier note it appears here in PA we are getting a referendum vote to check the Governors power on emergency actions very soon. I can't wait to vote to neuter that SOB.

Thanks to all who signed up supporting the #LetThePlayCA — 60,000+ Strong. Thousands of letters delivered to the governor from students. For our family it has been daily meetings, calls and correspondence with state representatives, coaches, students, teachers and religious leaders—we will be glad to get this behind us!

2 great outcomes for our youth athletes this week:

1. California outdoor youth sports were giving return to play guidelines outside of the state tier system effectively allowing most counties to resume sports next week, and

2. a law suit brought against the state in San Diego was successful with the judge ruling school sports must resume if college and professional sports are allowed.

Not done yet (indoor sports are still a work in progress). Links to both articles below.

Let’s play ball!

https://ktla.com/news/californ...me-in-some-counties/

https://www.cbs8.com/article/s...55-83be-560f518a5356

I coach 18u in a blue state.

We played 30 games this summer and 20 this fall.  Many practices.  No masks for coaches and players.  Similar for our entire state.

If there had been a God-Forbid event, I'm sure the panic-crazed media would have let us know about.   So I guess it didn't happen.