As of July 6, 2020 all Fayette County high school sports were allowed to return with restrictions. Students were able to return to sports, but there has still been no in-person school (other than targeted instruction) as of right now in Fayette County. On Sunday, November 15 FCPS made the decision to halt all sports, except football, for two weeks, and will be reevaluated on November 30, 2020.

“I don’t feel like it’s changed very much besides [there being] contact tracing and not as many people allowed at the games,” Student-Athlete Elli Haase said, “but it’s also a little bit scary, knowing you’re in close contact with like 20 other people every single week we have a game, and you don’t know where you’d get [the virus] from.”

If not very much has changed, then one wonders what is being done to keep students safe. Lisa Zent, parent of Henry Clay soccer player, has had different experiences with the safety of athletes. 

“Henry Clay was super strict because they didn’t want to be shut down,” Lisa Zent said. “We even noticed during games that other teams sat next to each other on the benches without their masks on and Henry Clay made their people [spread] out even if that meant sitting on the ground and you had to wear your mask if you weren’t playing.”

Student-athletes and parents of student-athletes seem to be more positive about the situation and feel better about everything going on. Katie Whaley, parent of a student not partaking in sports, did not feel the same way about student-athletes. 

“The rules are decent,” Katie Whaley said. “[However], I don’t know if they’re being enforced, which makes me question whether it matters what the rules are.”

All three parties do agree that it is foolish for students to be playing sports, but not be allowed in in-person school.

“Yeah, I think it’s silly,” Lisa Zent said. “If we can play sports, we should be allowed in the classroom.”

An athletics report, presented by FCPS Chief of High Schools, James McMillin, showed that there were 24 positive cases of COVID-19 as of October 14th, and cases increased to 38 positive tests by November 9th. As a result, starting November 10th, fans will be limited to 2 per player, and they must be in the same household. Governor Andy Beshear has recommended the suspension of sports when counties are red. Fayette County suspended most sports on November 15. The county, like most, remains in question about the future.