Vince Lombardi, the great football coach, once said that obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.

“Let them play,” was a theme of some of the public comments. It’s a sentiment that many parents of public school students in Pennsylvania can relate to right now. Let them play could be featured on a t-shirt or a yard sign. But it’s not a direction to a path forward for Avon Grove and other school districts that are grappling with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

He added that every school board member and administrator in Avon Grove is aware that sports and co-curricular activities are vital to the emotional, social, and physical well-being of students.

Wood offered a proposal for the school board to draft a letter that would petition the Chester County Health Department to align the start of fall sports with the start of in-person classes if doing so would be supported by the updated data on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

While Avon Grove officials are holding out hope that the Ches-Mont League can work together and perhaps plan out a fall sports season, there are a number of issues that must be resolved.

Marchese also pointed out that if a school district attempted to start a season in the fall and then games had to be stopped again because of COVID-19, those athletes might lose their eligibility if an attempt was made to stage a season for the fall sports at some point next spring.

Another reason why Avon Grove can’t go it alone on a fall sports season is the need for competition. If the Ches-Mont League isn’t playing, Avon Grove doesn’t have a league to compete in, and no other leagues are going to welcome new schools in the current environment when everyone wants to keep travel to a minimum. “Our solution,” Marchese said, “would be to align the fall sports schedule with other schools in the league.”

The school board voted unanimously to petition the Chester County Health Department to align the start of fall sports with the start of in-person classes. The board also voted to extend the school health and safety plan that had already been approved. This will allow sports teams to continue to practice as much as possible, while following the recommended safety guidelines. 

Another issue that came up during public comment was the fact that Avon Grove is not providing busing for students who are attending private schools in the area. At this point, with Avon Grove’s classes taking place virtually, the district is not required to provide busing for these students. A number of parents asked the school district to reconsider its decision. Wood said that transportation will likely be discussed at the board’s Sept. 10 work session.