‘LET US PLAY!’ Public school student-athletes rally in St. Albans demanding a return to sports
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
James Johnson, a community
activist and City Council
candidate for District 27,
rallied with student-athletes,
parents and coaches in St.
Albans at the corner of Roy
Wilkins Park on Saturday,
Feb. 6, demanding that New
York City reopen the doors to
sports facilities for approximately
45,000 public studentathletes.
Across the five boroughs,
students rallied to return to
the athletic fields and courts
advocating for equal opportunity
and fairness, as certain
private schools, Catholic
schools and public schools in
Long Island have been practicing
in facilities for a long
time, according to Johnson, a
former student-athlete.
“Don’t punish these public
school kids. Stop playing
politics! We can do this safely
with the same guidelines that
Long Island is doing, the same
guidelines the private schools
and Catholic schools are
doing. We can do it here,”
Johnson said.
After a 10-month suspension
due to the coronavirus
pandemic while following
COVID-19 protocols and suspension,
students, parents and
coaches want school sports to
return to New York City, Johnson
said. Parents are forced
to take their children to New
Jersey or Long Island for practice
and some even go as far as
taking their kids to states like
Ohio for scouting opportunities,
giving them a shot at an
athletic scholarship.
As a COVID-19 survivor,
Johnson said he understands
the danger the pandemic poses
but stressed that many athletes
are becoming depressed
seeing their peers in other
parts of the state return to
tracks, courts and fields.
In January, the state issued
new guidelines clearing the
way for all higher-risk high
school and recreational sports
leagues, which went into effect
on Feb. 1. Local health authorities
have to give their permission
considering three factors:
local COVID-19 rates, the local
ability to monitor compliance
with rules, and the presence
of the U.K. strain of the coronavirus
in the area.
So far, the NYC Health
Department seems to be the
TIMESLEDGER | Q 2 NS.COM | FEB. 12-FEB. 18, 2021
wild card among other county
health departments such as
Long Island, where studentathletes
have already returned
to their gymnasiums.
High school senior and
football player Troy Williams
spoke for all student-athletes
across the five boroughs
who don’t get to finish their
season.
“I love this sport. It hurts
not being able to finish my senior
season,” Williams said.
“We just want to finish our
season cause we might not get
our scholarship opportunities.
We are always told to finish
what we start, no matter what.
So how come the state of New
York wants to quit on us?”
Campus Magnet Head
Coach Eric Barnett reminded
everyone of the opportunities
sports can provide to students
referring to Magnet alumni
Blessuan Austin, cornerback
for the Jets, and Kyle O’Quinn,
former center for the Knicks.
“Who is the next Blessuan
Austin, who is the next Kyle
O’Quinn that’s going to miss
out on an opportunity?” Barnett
asked in light of the lack
of scouting options.
Legendary Benjamin Cardozo
High School basketball
coach Ron Naclerio expressed
that New York City’s studentathletes
have been shortchanged
under the current
restrictions and read a powerful,
lengthy statement he had
shared on social media.
“Very soon, it will be 12
months that high school sports
in the Big Apple were forced
to take a hiatus. Each athlete
has a spark, and most coaches
help fan that flame. Too many
now have lost that spark, and
they need a match to reignite
their wiltering flame,” Naclerio
said.
Springfield Gardens High
School student Briana Augustin
took the opportunity to
point out the prevailing misogyny
in sports, especially
for Black female athletes. The
tennis player and straight-A
student spoke of the lack of
funding and support for Black
female student-athletes.
“When I first started playing
tennis, it was hand-medown
rackets, hand-me-down
balls. We lack supplies, especially
in a community where
female athletes are overlooked
so many times,” said Augustin,
who pointed out that leaving
New York City to get scouted
for a scholarship is not an
option for her. “It doesn’t
benefit my community. I give
them my talent; I give them
my name; I give them my face.
And my people aren’t getting
anything in return.”
NYC Council Candidate James Johnson speaks at a rally to bring back school sports.
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
TIMESLEDGER is published weekly by Queens CNG LLC, 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, NY.11361, (718) 229-0300. The entire contents of this publication are copyright 2021. All rights reserved. The newspaper will not be
liable for errors appearing in any advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Periodicals postage paid at Flushing, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the TimesLedger C/O News Queens
CNG LLC. 38-15 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, N.Y. 11361.
/NS.COM
