West Islip Parents Demand Youth Sports Return To School Fields

WEST ISLIP, NY — Several parents are asking the West Islip School District to allow for the return of youth sports at school fields. Due to the coronavirus, Long Island students have not played sports at school since March, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all schools to be closed.

While schools were set to reopen in September over the summer, the fate of youth sports was still in the air. In August, Cuomo announced that as part of his reopening plan, low risk youth sports such tennis, soccer, cross-country, field hockey and swimming can resume practicing and games. Last month Suffolk County Section XI's Athletic Council voted to postpone the fall season and condense all three seasons — fall, winter, spring — from January through June.

However, some parents in West Islip still believe that the "inability to access school fields that serve youth sports" is beginning to negatively impact communities. Local resident Joseph Tobia shared a petition circulating around the community to allow fellow parents to express their concern with not allowing youth sports at West Islip fields.

"Many of you in the West Islip community have made your feelings known as evidenced by the volume of sports signups," the petition reads. "Your decision is not only supported by studies concerning transmission amongst youth in outside environments but also New York's government in the highest office. Unfortunately, WISD feels differently and is allowing personal fears to ignore common sense and the pulse of the community. The WISD’s reluctance to open the fields is not only unfounded but also misguided."

According to the petition, several other districts have begun to issue permits for their youth teams, but since West Islip School District has not allowed teams to play on school fields, this has led to extremely crowded fields within the Town of Islip, including at Casamento Park. The petition claims that the town fields are "incapable" of supporting the volume of youth sports in the West Islip community.

"The irony is that while the school claims it is protecting our children, it is doing the opposite by forcing the community to practice in smaller and more congested town fields," the petition reads.

Tobia also organized a rally at Beach Street Middle School in West Islip Thursday night to show support for reinstating youth sports at school fields. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m.