High school players rally at Kentucky state capitol in effort to bring back fall sports

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- Dozens of high school players, coaches and parents rallied on the steps of the Kentucky state capitol Monday morning in an effort to convince Gov. Andy Beshear to kick off the fall sports season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their message: "Let them play."

The group is waiting to find out if Beshear will approve the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's (KHSAA) plan for the fall sports season.

After delaying the start of the season for weeks, players in the crowd are ready to hit the field and the court. Last week, the KHSAA voted to move forward with fall sports. The board's plan would allow teams to start practicing Monday, with games beginning in three weeks. But that plan still has to be approved by Beshear and state health officials.

The governor called the plan surprising, which is what brought the group to the capitol on Monday.

Grayson Wise, a senior from Grayson County High School, said her last volleyball season is being dangled in front of her, and she thinks the worst part is the constant unknown.

"Everything I've done leading up to is for senior season: being able to have that last first game, the last first practice, everything going on there that I look forward to and fought for and my fellow seniors have as well," Wise said. "I just came up here to be a voice for our team and our seniors to fight for as normal as a season as we can have."

There is no timeline on when the state might render a final decision, but Jefferson County Public Schools plans to take matters into its own hands and vote on how it will move forward.

The superintendent plans to recommend a phased-in approach for sports during a 7 p.m. Monday meeting.