A football community in the Southwest Valley, frustrated that there has been no organized team activities allowed on campuses since early June, is demanding the Tolleson Union High School District return to athletics.

A letter was sent to district leaders on Monday.

The district is citing safety issues during the COVID-19 pandemic for keeping sports shut down.

Earlier this month, the district issued a statement, saying, in part, “We are closely monitoring the data and the metrics provided each week by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

“We will continue using that information to determine when it is safe for us to provide onsite support services as well as beginning practice and allowing our student-athletes the opportunity to acclimate and condition for Fall sports. Therefore, we will not begin practicing until those metrics are met. The safety and health of our students and coaches is of utmost importance and we will let that drive our decisions moving forward.”

Most schools in the state began official football practice in helmets Sept. 7 under the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s fall season timeline. Most of the first competition for varsity football will be Oct. 2, if the AIA stays on track.

The Phoenix Union High School District is proposing its own AIA-sanctioned fall sports seasons with the AIA Executive Board next Monday. The plan is to start conditioning for fall sports on Oct. 1 with first varsity football competition in late October.

In their letter sent Monday to the district, the parents are following the blue print of the  “Parents in Support of 2020 Football in Arizona,” which last week sent a letter to the AIA leaders and Sports Medicine Advisory Committee president, demanding a key metric for proceeding with full-contact. That metric, as it stands, requires a rate of 10 or fewer positive cases per 100,000 in in the county or district, considered low community spread. Right now, teams can practice in helmets under a higher, ”medium spread” rate.

“The parents, families, and fans of the Tolleson Union High School Football Players vehemently disagree with the Governing Board’s decision to not allow the TUHSD athletes to return to athletic activity and competition,” the letter to TUHSD says. “Current news and events clearly show that it is more likely that testing be miss-identified as Covid positive than negative due to over sensitivity of the available Covid tests in the market cities.”

Case counts and hospitalizations in Arizona have been trending downward for about the past eight weeks.

“There is no reasonable explanation to keep student athletes away from sports and competition. On the contrary, it is clear that the prolonged emotional roller coaster and continued uncertainty our student athletes have been through for the past six months is negatively impacting their mental health and well-being-studies show that 68% of student athletes are experiencing anxiety and depression due to cancellation and delay of sports,” the letter continues.

The letter noted that 21 other states have started high school football competition, half of which are above 100 cases per 100,000 population. Seven others are committed to starting Oct. 1 with a level above 10 per 100,000 cases, the letter said.

“To hold the Tolleson Unified High School District Football contingent upon an unachievable and patently not necessary metric is wrong and unethical. We demand you move to start football practices immediately,” the letter said.

The letter is signed by football parents Nikki Jones and ???Jim McElhenny.

“The district is keeping the coaches and players in the dark,” said  McElhenny, whose son James is a senior quarterback at Tolleson High School. “The coaches can’t even give the kids a straight answer if they’re playing or not.”

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today