Letter: 'Resumption of Fall Sports - Let's Move Forward'

"Resumption of Fall Sports - Let's Move Forward"

by John Shaban

I am a father, youth football coach, booster club president for my local high school football program, and a former state legislator (2011-2017, candidate for re-election in 2020). I write to express my concern about the vacillation and seeming lack of leadership being shown by our state leaders regarding the return of fall sports.

Indeed, one of the primary lessons we teach our young athletes is to show courage in the face of adversity. Announcing a course of action, only to retreat from it at the first sign of criticism, shows pusillanimity and teaches our students the opposite lesson.

The intermediate position announced by CIAC several weeks ago, while not as robust as I had hoped, nevertheless showed leadership and gave our children reassurance that their life would soon return to normal. I applaud CIAC for that. Indeed, our state has "flattened the curve," the infection numbers are good, and the damage caused by quarantines and cancellations is still repairable.

We now need to keep moving forward while reinforcing a simple but important life lesson — players, politicians and people in general can never hide from all sickness, bad luck or bad weather, but we can always plan for these obstacles and advance with resolve. Let us practice what we preach.

I am hopeful that CIAC will again show leadership and start the season next week. Please let me know how I can help.

John Shaban

Redding, Connecticut

John Shaban is running for election to the Connecticut House of Representatives to represent District 135. This letter was also sent to the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) and state Department of Public Health.