Goding said she would like to see OPS athletes playing all fall sports. She asked if athletes in more individual and socially distanced sports like tennis and cross country could compete.

“I would like to see us try to do something to help these students,” Goding said. “And if we’re not going to allow athletics, I just want us to be able to communicate that out so they can make choices.” 

Several athletes have chosen to transfer out of OPS so they can play sports this fall in other school districts.

Board member Ricky Smith said he used to coach in the district, so he knows the importance of sports, but he feels just as strongly about keeping kids alive. He said he’s more worried about the 54,000 students in OPS schools than the 11 kids in the huddle.

Board member Tracy Casady said it’s easy to ask why one sport, like cross county, can’t participate even if a close contact sport like football can’t be played but OPS is a district about equality and fairness.

She said she is disappointed other metro districts have not joined OPS in not playing sports this fall. 

“We do not want to be doing this but we are in a pandemic,” Casady said. “And that is what I think people are losing sight of.”

“We are doing the best we can to make the decisions to keep 54,000 children from spreading this disease, this virus, throughout our city,” she said. “We have 9,000 teachers that we are trying to keep safe. Sports are huge but we are trying to keep our eye on the bigger picture.”