As many of you know, the Laredo College Board of Trustees voted to suspend athletics for one year due to COVID-19 on May 7, 2020. As we are rapidly approaching the one year mark, there has been little, if any, discussion of reinstating athletics for the 2021-22 academic year. It is important to remember that although practice and completion would not begin until August of this year, it takes time to prepare. With zero student-athletes remaining from the shortened 2020 season, the three teams ready to start tomorrow (soccer, tennis & softball) needed to start two months ago. All teams will be recruiting entirely new rosters and hope to fill those rosters with local players if possible. So much research has been conducted on sports and COVID-19 since the shortened 2020 seasons and subsequent suspension of athletics at Laredo College. Most high school and travel teams are  currently competing safely and have been for some time, The NCAA has published a plethora of COVID-19 and sports related scientific information and safety protocols on its website NCAA.org. Of particular importance to LC Athletics in the publication is that sports have been separated and individually categorized into three tiers of degree of risk of exposure and spread (high-risk, intermediate risk, and low risk). Additionally, the medical committee, in coordination with the CDC has distinguished  the level of risk between indoor and outdoor sports and found a significant lower risk of transmission in outdoor sports. Thankfully, the three sports who still have coaches on staff are outdoor sports. Additionally, the publication has extremely detailed safety protocols that can easily be adapted to meet the needs of the LC Students and College community which will be strictly enforced and monitored. Finally, LC has lost many students due to COVID and the current completely online format so the sooner the athletic suspension is lifted, the sooner LC can increase enrollment and improve student retention  with guaranteed full-time students waiting patiently to wear the Palomino logo on their uniforms. Finally, Laredo College is the only college in our region (conference) not competing this spring and  perhaps the only educational institution in Laredo not currently competing nor planning for 2021-22. Please sign this petition to help Laredo College begin to move forward and join the majority of institutions and sports leagues who are already headed on that road forward.