NH High School Student-Athletes & Parents Push to End Mask-Use During Sports

Since a New Hampshire high school track and field coach left his position due to not making his student-athletes wear masks during competition, local student-athletes and parents and coming to his side, according to recent reports.

Brad Keyes was fired from his Pembroke (NH) Academy position after penning a letter to his superiors informing them he would force his athletes to wear masks during competition because it’s dangerous and/or makes it difficult to breathe.

“I’m hoping there are other coaches out there talking to their athletic directors, saying, ‘This shouldn’t be going on,'” Keyes said to WMUR9. “I hope there are parents saying the same thing.”

The New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) has recommended mask-wearing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as sports have returned in the ‘Live Free or Die’ State.

But since Keyes’ firing, two petitions have popped up online — one created by a track and field student at Pembroke Academy, and the other by the parent of a student-athlete in Manchester, NH, according to WMUR9.

“What happens now that we start eliminating their oxygen intake and it’s a hot day while wearing a helmet and a mask, are we going to get cases of heat exhaustion or sports-induced asthma,” that Manchester parent, Ray Miclette, said to WMUR9.

Also included in the news station’s report was a note that a middle school track coach in the state also left his position over mask concerns.

This new push has gotten the attention of the NHIAA, as the organization is always looking to update its policies.

“We are certainly open to that criticism and hearing those things, but we have been meeting constantly and we will continue to meet,” said Jeff Collins, of the NHIAA, to WMUR9. “We have revised our guidelines this entire year.”

To read the full story from WMUR9, click here.