Durango 9-R school district has recently decided to close down all of their tracks and athletic facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to “prevent the spread” of the virus.
In fact, they have kindly posted papers and warnings all around fields and tracks stating that they will contact law enforcement if anyone were to try and dare exercise on the tracks.
Keep in mind, there are not one, not two, but three tracks that Durango 9-R has that they have decided to close: Durango Senior High School, Escalante Middle School and Miller Middle School.
There is safety and then there is simply shutting things down in fear. Safety is social distancing, staying six or more feet away from people and distancing yourself from others to protect everyone’s safety.
However, athletes do need a place to practice and understand what safe distance is. A place to simply get out of their houses for a bit. Sure, there are parks and trails that people can run on, but serious athletes, both high school and college, need a place to workout to stay sane in shape.
Durango 9-R should allow at least one track to remain open for the public, for the sake of the public and the sake of the athletes who use them.
These kids have dedicated major parts of their lives to sports, and to ban them from their own facilities is egregious and careless. Let them have their time.
Fastan DrelaxDurango
