Student-Athletes Urge Their Peers To Get Vaccinated Before Fall

NEW BRITAIN, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz were joined at Willow Brook Park Tuesday afternoon by other state dignitaries, health officials, coaches and, most importantly, student-athletes urging their peers to get vaccinated prior to the beginning of the fall scholastic sports season.

The news conference, organized by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), featured remarks by, among others, CIAC Executive Director Glenn Lungarini, Department of Public Health Acting Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford, interim Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker, Xavier High School 2-sport standout Drew Kron and New Britain High School baseball coach Roberto Mercado, who made his comments strictly in Spanish.

Members of the Bloomfield High School track and field team and New Britain High School volleyball team were among those present to encourage the unvaccinated to get their shots, as the nearly 18-month coronavirus pandemic has seen a recent uptick in cases.

At the gathering on the athletic surface inside Veterans Memorial Stadium, Lamont announced that all Connecticut students will be required to wear masks for the first month of the upcoming school year.

"That’s what we've got to do," he said. "We did it well last fall; we’re going to do it again this fall and show the rest of the country we know how to do it safely. Given where we are, given what the spread is right now, given the success the masks had last year - I want to make sure everyone can be in the classroom safely."

In encouraging student-athletes to get vaccinated, Lamont said, "We really need you to do it. It’s for your safety, and it’s for your team. It’s so that nobody has to step off the field. You can stay involved and keep learning."

"After a long year without football, I can say my coaches, teammates and I could not be more excited to get back on the field this fall," Kron said. "Due to Xavier offering a vaccination clinic in the spring, I was fortunate enough to use this to my advantage and get vaccinated. One way we can guarantee the safety of all that participate and a full season to occur is to take the initiative and get vaccinated if not done so already."

Gifford said, "This vaccination tool is an effective way to meet that opponent and best that opponent, on and off the field."

Last fall, the pandemic caused a limited schedule of games to be played, with full-contact football eliminated entirely. No state tournaments were conducted in the fall or winter.

The CIAC released its guidance on fall sports, including its mask policy and spectator protocols, last Thursday.

Video: John Holt/CIAC

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