WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Brian Schatz today called on Gov. David Ige to lift restrictions on youth sporting events, including allowing parents and guardians to cheer on their athletes in person and permitting surf competitions and regattas to resume, while adhering to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
“I urgently ask you to reevaluate your prohibition on parents and guardians watching youth sports. We already allow people on beaches, to watch sports in bars, and to do other outdoor activities, but yet we do not allow parents and guardians to watch their kids play youth sports outside in the sunshine and open air,” Schatz wrote in his letter to the governor. “Lifting your prohibition on parents and guardians watching their kids play youth sports and youth surf and outrigger canoe paddling contests can be done while remaining consistent with public health guidelines.”
In his letter to the governor, Schatz cites Hawaii’s progress on vaccinations and its low case counts, as well as the importance of safely lifting restrictions and returning to a more normal life.
Schatz asked Ige to “reevaluate your prohibition on all surfing competitions and outrigger canoe paddling regattas and races and recognize the distinction between the types of large surf contests that encourage fans to gather and smaller youth competitions run by the Hawaii Surf Association. Surfing and outrigger canoe paddling are an important part of our culture, and youth should be able to safely participate in competitions, regattas, and races.”