The Varsity Cheer team will be allowed to participate in Regionals this weekend amid the ongoing educator strike.
“Given that this one-time event cannot be rescheduled earlier, we want these students to have the opportunity to participate in a critical event they have trained tirelessly for,” School Committee Chairwoman Kathleen Clancy said in an update this week.
On November 8th, the School Committee ruled that “starting Saturday, November 9, all school sponsored student activities must be rescheduled, if possible, or canceled until school resumes.”
Gloucester residents took to social media following the decision to voice their concerns for the athletes’ eligibility. Many parents cited how the School Committee wants kids to maintain normalcy during the strike, but they are willing to take away a vital part of many students’ lives.
“It’s really upsetting that that’s the only thing they could come up with; to use the kids as a way to get the teachers to come back,” Battle said. “We stand with the teachers, so we will do anything we can. But we still want to cheer.”
With a qualifying bid in Regionals this Sunday, the team could move onto the State Championship Competition. It is unclear the School Committee will allow them to compete if they make it.
Other Gloucester teams have also been affected by this decision.
The last school sponsored activity to take place was the Varsity football team’s playoff game against Shawsheen on Friday. Despite their loss, and resulting playoff exit, the Fishermen had a consolation game scheduled for Friday, November 15.
However, the MIAA refused to schedule an opponent for the Fishermen due to the chance of not having a game.
“I think extracurricular activities, including athletics, and the issues being discussed in negotiations, are 2 separate issues,” O’Maley gym teacher and football head coach Dan O’Connor said. “Whether [the team] advanced or not, we should have the opportunity to compete this week. These kids dedicate so much time and energy into whatever activity we’re talking about to showcase their talents. Unfortunately for us, these are games that we won’t have time to make up. They’ve been stripped of at least one of the remaining opportunities to play.”
The football team has six graduating seniors this year; Evan Mione, Joe Aiello, Jackson Allen, Cullen MacWhinnie, Matthew Smith and Quadir Divens. Their past game against Shawsheen may have been their last game of their high school career, as it is unknown if the strike will be over before Thanksgiving day.
Athletes from around Gloucester rallied to support UGE at their November 12th rally. Athletes from the Gloucester High School Football, Boys Hockey, Field Hockey, and Cheerleading teams brought signs to cheer on their current and former educators. At the conclusion of the rally, chants of “Let Them Play” and “Let Them Cheer” erupted throughout the crowd.
While winter sports programs don’t have their official schedules out, their pre-season training has been affected. Both Girls and Boys Hockey are allowed to do certain pre-season workouts in the rink, but other teams such as Basketball and Track have halted their “Captains’ Practices.”
Beverly and Marblehead, two North Shore districts that have also gone on strike, released differing decisions on how the strike will affect athletics.
Beverly is allowing all teams and student-athletes that are in-season to play during the strike.
Marblehead parents filed an emergency court injunction to allow the football team to participate in playoffs this Friday, and Superintendent John Robidoux announced the allowance of high school athletics to continue this weekend.
In Gloucester, much remains uncertain for athletics, clubs, and drama if the strike continues into next week.
