The roar of the crowd under Friday night lights, the thunk of a softball against a bat and the swish of a soccer ball hitting the back of the net have all been silenced by a recent regulation. As of Sept. 11, 2020, St. Louis County executives released an ordinance terminating the 2020 fall sports season.

Kirkwood, Ladue, Rockwood, Parkway, Christian Brothers College, DeSmet and Chaminade are among the many districts halted. However, not all of the students are on board with this mandate.

“It’s affected me because I can’t have a senior season, probably the thing I have looked forward to most since the start of high school,” Chaminade football player Amar Johnson said. “I’ll never get that feeling of playing on Friday nights with my brothers again.”

Not only is the mandate upsetting to the athletes, especially the seniors, but it may also harm their chances of getting college offers.

“This will affect recruitment for athletes because many athletes needed this season to show colleges their athleticism,” Johnson said. “[Recruitment] is a way to get a free ride or go to college on a scholarship.”

Athletes and their supporters are no longer staying silent. As of September 10 In the past few days, many parents and students have begun to protest, coining the phrase #LetThemPlay, according to stltoday.com.

“I feel like parents and students are handling it to the best of their ability,” Johnson said. “Some are doing more than others by protesting to let us play, but at the end of the day, we all have to be safe.”