The last couple of days has been filled with debates about if the high school football season should occur as planned. The LHSAA released a statement on Wednesday confirming their commitment to a safe return to fall sports in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic.

The discussion had started on Monday when Cleo Fields, the head of the Senate Education Committee, sent a letter to Board of Elementary and Secondary Schools Sandy Holloway, asking BESE to ban sports for its K-12 schools because of COVID-19 risks, noting the LHSAA was a private organization and should not make the decision. That was followed by a statement on Tuesday by BESE, saying it has the authority to make recommendations to schools but cannot ban fall sports.

Below is the full statement from the LHSAA.

“Now, more than ever, we are reminded that our communities need high school sports. Interscholastic competition supports the physical, emotional and mental well-being of student-athletes across Louisiana. The LHSAA is fully committed to the safe return of high school athletics this fall. We encourage member schools to follow LHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee Guidelines to ensure the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. Reopening high school sports depends on all of us working together.”