Truman Student Athletes Say: ‘Let Us Play’

As the Bristol Township School Board met Monday evening and streamed their meeting live, a group of Harry S. Truman High School football players stood outside asking the district to reconsider the decision to not allow them to participate in the fall season.

The school board voted in August to not have students take part in the Suburban One League (SOL) fall sports schedule. After hearing from student athletes and parents, the school board took a second vote in early September and stuck to their initial decision.

The Suburban One League, which has 24 schools who compete, saw only Truman and Cheltenham High School in Montgomery County not play this fall.

In a statement in August, the Bristol Township School District said their decision was made to keep students safe during the pandemic.

Truman linebacker Devan Harris, a junior, said he and his teammates want to play, even with COVID-19 precautions in place.

“I don’t really see what the difference between us and them,” he said, citing all the other area high schools taking part in sports leagues this fall. “We want to be treated equally.”

His teammates stood by with signs that read “Let Us Play.”

Eric Fant, a football parent whose son is a senior wide receiver, said he wants the students to be able to partake in a competitive season.

“For these kids, it’s a way to deal with the outside world,” he said, adding organized sports like football keep kids on the right track.

Fant, who played football himself at Truman, said he was “heartbroken” he doesn’t get to see his son compete and also because he hears that the students want to play.

With two sons on the football team, Tim Slayton said he wants to see the team compete.

“You get excited about seeing the kids play,” he said.

Slayton said he wants to see the team play and knows from coaching younger football players that safety precautions like masks, physical distancing, and temperature checks can reduce the risk of players getting sick.

From Harris’ viewpoint as a student athlete, he worries about whether the lack of a competitive season could hurt his chances at getting a scholarship to help him pay for college.

Fant agreed and said the cancellation of Truman’s fall sports can have “unintended consequences” for student’s futures and wellbeing.

“I’m not that guy. I know the virus is real,” Fant said while wearing a mask. “But why are all the other schools playing and not us?”

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