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What are the logical fallacies in this article? The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference leadership has always had the best interests of our high school student-athletes in mind. Its decision last

week to maintain a full schedule of fall sports once schools reopen was based on a lengthy deliberation among medical professionals, educators, administrators and coaches. And it was a long time coming. Parents and coaches have witnessed the depression and anxiety our students are experiencing with the loss of sports. While these children are the least medically impacted by COVID-19, they have been the most physically and mentally impacted by all of the restrictions. These individuals determined that it was important enough to restore as much of high school life as possible this fall after months of isolation, disruption and idleness that our kids have experienced due to the pandemic. By voting to go ahead with all fall sports, the CIAC came up with a plan that provides flexibility and optimism after our long spring and summer of rigidity, negativity and boredom. If the data in the next weeks and months indicate greater numbers of the COVID-19 virus in our schools, the fall schedule can be adjusted or scrapped. It is worth the effort to go through this process.The swift rebuke of the CIAC, specifically for deciding to go ahead with high school football, came from various corners and prompted the organization to pause until Aug. 24 before any final decision is made on all sports. This should have allowed for further discussion and debate. But Department of Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford muddied the discussion following the CIAC announcement when she shocked parents and officials in a letter to the organization that called for delaying, or the outright cancelling, of fall sports all together. DPH failed to weigh in on any of these matters in a timely fashion, and that is why the CIAC acted as it did. In many cases, student-athletes and their coaches had already begun in-person, socially distanced and safe conditioning exercises prior to last week's communication to CIAC. Throughout the weeks when these activities were taking place, DPH did not express any concern. Many who were offended by, or disagreed with, the CIAC's position appear to undervalue the worth that all organized athletics have for young people and what they mean for their future. For many, sports provide a path toward higher education that would otherwise not be available. For others, organized athletics instill discipline, leadership skills and a sense of community and pride.And there is an issue of fairness at play here. The club sports,programs that are more costly and often unavailable for many high school athletes, can still go on as planned this fall outside of the jurisdiction of the CIAC. This decision impacts our poorer communities far greater than those with financial means. While children have been shuttered in their homes for months, adult recreation and leisure activities have been allowed, in some cases, since May 20. It's time we begin putting all of our efforts into bringing normalcy to our young population, which has been least impacted by the virus yet has been subjected to the most restrictions of any segment of our population.We fear that this latest decision will result in long-lasting harm to our children's social, emotional and physical well-being Before Gov. Ned Lamont issues another executive order to put fall sports beyond the reach of those who administer and oversee these programs that involve thousands of young athletes, let's consider what is possible before we render the matter moot by declaring the coming season dead. Our children deserve more.

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