This petition is presented to allow all West Virginians to have a voice in these unprecedented times in matters directly impacting our children.

Our children are our future! While every citizen has had to make sacrifices during the pandemic our children are suffering emotionally, socially and physically.

As the WVSSAC rules currently stand the high student athletes of WV cannot compete on a high school team and a travel team concurrently. Generally, this rule does not impact many student athletes as the seasons do not typically overlap. However, the season dates for West Virginia High School cheerleading, basketball, baseball and softball have changed by State officials due to COVID resulting in an overlap with the same sports travel ball schedules.  Athletes have made a verbal and financial commitment to these travel clubs months ago and the schedules involve athletes and organizations from various states throughout the United States.

As a result, we stress how this overlap in schedules and the WVSSAC rule create a burden on athletes in all 55 counties of our great state. We are asking the WVSSAC to waive the rule for this school year and let the athletes compete on their respective school and travel teams concurrently!!!

West Virginia citizens appreciates and respect the time and effort that the WVSSAC puts into our student athletes daily. The situation can be turned into a WIN not another Loss.

A waiver of the rule would eliminate the students having to choose between their respective high school team and their travel team.

Further, a waiver would remove any risk of financial loss and/or hardship to the student athletes’ families.

Further, a waiver would remove the risk of the student athlete losing both opportunities should they choose their high school team, and the map turns red and halts participation.

Further, a waiver would remove the risk of smaller high schools not being able to field a team and thus being forced to forfeit their season all together.

Further, a waiver would eliminate the need for student athletes to take legal action to address these same concerns.

The bottom-line is to fight this issue on an individual basis carries with it a tremendous financial burden when the reality is this issue negatively affects student athletes and high schools across the entire State of West Virginia in all 55 counties.

West Virginia is leading the nation in vaccinations according to the Governor, thus, letting our student athletes compete on a high school team and travel team at the same time does not create any additional health risk to citizens of the State of West Virginia.

Consequently, we ask that the WVSSAC vote to WAIVE the rule and let our athletes compete on their high school team and travel team concurrently this year and create a WIN for West Virginia, the student athletes, students’ families, and the high schools.