The purpose of this petition is to generate support among parents of student-athletes within the Houston Independent School District (HISD) whose athletic season is now effectively being canceled or indefinitely suspended. Supporters of this petition are asking Mr. Andre' Walker, HISD's current Athletics Director, to reverse his very recent decision to suspend all non-varsity athletics within HISD. 

On January 11, 2021, Mr. Walker sent a memo communicating HISD's decision to cancel/suspend all athletics with the very narrow exception being high school athletics at the varsity-level. The memo states that this decision is being made due to "a rise in Covid-19 cases in Harris County." However, given the fact that HISD tracks confirmed cases of Covid-19 on its own Covid-19 Dashboard, it is far more appropriate from a science-based standpoint for HISD to base its decision using its own more specific data. The data shows that the vast majority (60%) of the cumulative* student confirmed cases of Covid-19 are from elementary school children. HISD does not offer sports to elementary-aged children. Also, these students attend a separate campus. Therefore, elementary school data should not be considered in assessing whether junior high and high school athletics warrant cancellation/suspension. When combined, only 35% of the total cumulative confirmed cases of Covid-19 among the student population are from junior high and high school students. HISD should take a fresh look at the data with this in mind. 

According to the CDC, HISD outdoor athletics is already taking place with a reduced risk of COVID-19 transmission. It's important to note that HISD athletics in the Fall of 2020 did not have any major issues of community spread.

Parents are deeply concerned about the impact of suspending and/or cancelling all athletics. For many of these student-athletes, this would be the second time their sport has been cancelled. This puts them at a distinct disadvantage from a developmental standpoint. For many of these students, this developmental delay could impact their opportunities moving forward, including jeopardizing future scholarship offers. Also, studies show that participating in athletics and group activities is critical for positive mental health in students. Many parents have sited that they've seen increased depression and anxiety in their student-athletes due to these cancellations. According to this study from the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, students participating in sports exhibit less anxiety, depression, and have an increased ability to concentrate. We all want that for our kids!

Upon considering the aforementioned, we respectfully request that HISD reverse this decision to suspend all non-varsity athletics and allow our student-athletes to resume athletics immediately. We are also requesting a meeting to be held either online or in person to be provided with more information, including the science-based reasons for HISD's continued suspension of athletic activities.

Thank you for your support! Please share this petition to help us show HISD that the parents of student-athletes support the continuation of athletics for the betterment of the students, and the entire HISD community.