NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – Mayor John Cooper said Thursday that sports at Metro Schools is “on the path for games to resume.”

Cooper made the remarks while answering questions at the weekly Metro Coronavirus Task Force briefing.

“MNPS is on the path for games to resume. This is their own call,” said Cooper. “Strength and conditioning has to take place before there’s a game.”

Last week Dr. Adrienne Battle, Director of Metro Schools, announced at a board meeting that all extracurricular activities, including athletics, were postponed indefinitely. She also announced Metro Schools would continue virtual learning until at least fall break, though exceptional students will return next week.

Earlier this week parents and coaches held a rally outside the Metro Board of Education offices to promote the resumption of athletics. Coaches also submitted a plan to the board on how sports could safely resume.

Cooper said he hopes students can return to school after fall break.

“We need to have a community where that can safely happen,” said Cooper. “When you’re an athlete, you have a strong interest in people wearing masks.”

Dr. Alex Jahangir, chair of the Metro Coronavirus Task Force, has served on a committee with Battle, the leaders of the county’s independent schools and charter schools to create a plan to reopen schools.

“We all met and they put out a road map to reopen schools with guidelines,” said Jahangir. “After the report went out and we went to Modified Phase Two, the task force allowed each district to make their own decisions.”

“Each school system in Nashville is determining its own decisions and actions,” said Cooper. “MNPS is in constant dialogue with parents and teachers. I think MNPS will learn from national examples on how to open effectively and when not accepting too much risk.”