Putnam City District Staff, Students, Parents Rally Against Extracurricular Activates Put On Hold

Chants were heard outside the Putnam City School Administration building Monday of players and coaches who are upset after sports practices, games, and rehearsals have been put on hold because of COVID-19. 

This decision by school leaders came Friday after Oklahoma County was placed in a moderate level on the state's COVID-19 Alert System. 

Athletes made one thing very clear, they are not a fan.  

“They take our temperatures, we all make sure we are up to health before we come to practice,” said Nakiah Soaughter, a Putnam City School Basketball player. “I feel like if we are up to it, we can make that decision.” 

Some football players were told last Friday, just minutes before their game, it’d be their last for a while. 

The toughest part is watching other districts in the county carry on. 

“Our district has the authority to allow us to play,” said Ryan Laverty, the head football coach at Putnam City North. “They are following the recommendations from the state department in orange two when everyone else around us is following their own protocols and their own contact tracing and anything like that in order to continue to play.” 

Fears grow among students, wondering if this hold could be long term and what that means for possible scholarships.  

“A lot of us are out there trying to get to that next level and without a whole year, it really makes us take a step back,” said Riley Edwards, a middle linebacker. “Were not having scouts look at us. We have to go off of last year’s material.” 

While coaches worry about the possibility of students transferring elsewhere, they focus on what can be done now and that’s standing by students.  

“We’re not here protesting, we’re here because the decisions that these people are making are affecting human beings and that’s what we want,” said head football coach at Putnam City High, Carter Whitson. “We have to have a presence and let them know who they’re affecting.” 

The Putnam City School District sent the following statement to News 9: 

“The Oklahoma State Department of Health released an update showing that Oklahoma County is in the Orange Level 2 category of the COVID Alert System. When the update was released, Putnam City transitioned to the Orange Level 2 protocol established by the Oklahoma State Department of Education prior to the beginning of the school year. This is the same protocol we have been following all season when other school districts were classified in Orange Level 2 and games had to be canceled.  The Oklahoma State Department of Education guidelines for Orange Level 2 state that ‘buildings and campuses not be used for extracurricular activities, including spectator sports, or other group activities.’ We know this news is very disheartening, and we want to make every effort to reschedule activities canceled this week.  Specifically related to football, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association has established guidelines to follow when any district football game cannot be played due to COVID. The preference is that a strong effort be made to reschedule games.”  

Coaches said they and their players will be outside every day at 3:45 p.m. during regularly scheduled practice until the district changes their mind.