Fall Sports: York Dad Wants Athletics Back

ELMHURST, IL — Scott Malaga, a parent of two York High School athletes, says he wants sports to come back this fall. The risks of canceling athletics, in his view, far outweigh those related to the pandemic.

Recently, Malaga, whose son is in football, emailed the program's parents asking them to help lobby for fall sports. He sent them a link to sign a petition asking Illinois officials to allow athletics this fall.

"Fall sports are important for these kids. The overarching reason that comes to mind is that sports make you accountable for something and someone. It keeps you accountable for exercising and hopefully eating right," Malaga said in an interview with Elmhurst Patch.

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Another reason, he said, is that sports help deter students from being with their friends at parties in their spare time.

"From a mental standpoint, the kids need athletics," said Malaga, a Cornell University Hall of Fame athlete in football and baseball. "Nothing was more impactful to me than playing high school and college sports, other than getting married and having kids."

As for the pandemic, young people have a low risk of getting the coronavirus, he said.

"Parents can provide the necessary restrictions at home if they are worried about contact," Malaga said.

He said 10 to 15 football parents replied to the email and expressed support for bringing back sports.

At a school board meeting last week, Elmhurst School District 205 Superintendent Dave Moyer said he doubted school sports would return this fall. He said the Illinois High School Association has yet to give a specific plan on how it would proceed with sports and activities.

This week, in an email to high school athletic directors across the state, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson hinted at the possibility of all sports being delayed until 2021.