KITCHENER -- Students wanting to play football at Huron Heights Secondary School say their season has been cancelled after school officials said that there are no coaches available.
Aiden Geary, a fifth-year student at Huron Heights said his future is on the line if there is no football team this year.
“It’s costing me possibly the last time I’ll ever get to play football and also costing me a possible chance at scholarships,” said Geary.
He’s among the students at the Kitchener high school calling out school officials for flip-flopping their decision on bringing back their season, while other teams like soccer have been given the go-ahead.
“The school told us at first there weren’t enough people interested … we had a bunch of guys meet up, it was about 60 of us. We had enough to actually play and then they said they were understaffed,” said Neil Fischer, a senior at Huron Heights.
Fischer said that prompted one of his friends to transfer to Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute to play football instead.
“It’s not fair that he has to do that just to play a sport he likes, we should be able to play here,” said Fischer.
Some parents also expressed disappointment by the season’s cancellation for their kids.
“You’re playing with their emotions on so many levels,” said Fischer’s mom, Elaine.
She said a former volunteer coach at Huron Heights is now with another team after confusion over when he could return.
“Without them (volunteer coaches) we often do not have programs and so if they are willing to do it, we should be supporting them just as much as they support us,” she said.
In a statement sent to CTV News on Tuesday, the Waterloo Region District School Board said it looks forward to welcoming volunteers back but did not provide a timeline on when that would happen.
“I was looking forward to being able to play during my senior year, being able to get back with all my friends and rebuild the family we once had,” said Thomas Macdonald, a senior at Huron Heights.
Some players like Huron Heights senior Andrew Cooper said they aren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet and are still looking to save their football season.
“This sport means a lot to us, so the fact that we can’t play in our final year together is just sad,” said Cooper.
"COVID-19 has presented many challenges to typical school operations and processes as we work to prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff and by extension our community. For this reason, Huron Heights Secondary School made the difficult decision that they won't have a football team. This is in the best interest of students and staff, keeping their health and safety first," the WRDSB said in a statement to CTV Kitchener about the football season.
