Low enrollment and COVID-19 put football programs in spotlight
The Millbrook Blazers had a football team during the 2018-19 season, well before COVID-19 was a factor the school district had to consider. Photo courtesy Alec Pandaleon​

Low enrollment and COVID-19 put football programs in spotlight

MILLBROOK — The health crisis has affected many aspects of life, in small towns and large cities. Local residents, many of them parents, are naturally worried about how the coronavirus has impacted local communities here in the Harlem Valley, especially in our schools.

It’s a normal reaction after so many traditional elements of everyday life seem to have dropped by the wayside, including the parades, carnivals, concerts and yes, even athletic programs they always assumed would be available as their children rise through the ranks of their school systems.

Even if one take the issue of high-risk sports likely being canceled for fear of spreading COVID-19 and the highly contagious delta variant that’s been so concerning out of the equation — participation in athletic programs has been shifting.

According to a Millbrook Athletic Director Al Hammell, fewer local families with school-aged children means lower enrollment. That may be good for fewer students in class who can get more individual attention from teachers, but it’s bad news for schools trying to build their athletic teams.

Most parents today grew up with sports, in particular football, as a part of their school life. The Friday night lights at their school stadiums, the cheerleaders and pep rallies, it was all a part of the school experience.

For a good deal of students today, those days may be over, as for the past number of years some schools haven’t even have football teams. Millbrook High School, for one, has had to join forces with Dover just to let students play. Otherwise it didn’t have enough students to man a squad — and it’s not just because of the pandemic.

This is also true at Stissing Mountain High School in Pine Plains and Webutuck High School in Amenia, much to the disappointment of some teens.

Parents are also disappointed. Especially those who may be remembering their own glory years on the field, not to mention those thinking about what the lack of athletic programs can have on future college scholarship opportunities.

Some parents have written letters to their school boards and posted on social media to complain about the lack of athletic options for their children.

A simple explanation

One reason why are now fewer options for students is simple: The drop in enrollment. It takes a certain number of players to make up a team, explained the athletic directors (ADs) interviewed for this article. (Look for more from the Pine Plains and Webutuck ADs in future issues.) Students today also seem more interested in alternative sports.

Hammell said negative publicity around high-impact sports like football, which can lead to injuries including concussions, have also caused some to shy away from the field.

Millbrook school parent Rich Thomaselli posted on the mostlymillbrook Facebook page on July 9 his dismay about the lack of a football program.

“Very disappointed to find out today that this school administration, citing lack of interest from enough players, canceled the fall 2021 Millbrook football season — 10 weeks before the first official practice on Aug. 23.”

Hammell responds

Yet some students would rather play soccer instead of football, said Hammell, as not enough students have registered for football in recent semesters. Others who have signed up haven’t qualified for academic reasons or have had scheduling conflicts.

Hammell added there are “countless” reasons why the program could flop, which is why he tried merging with other schools, like Webutuck High School. That didn’t work out, so he looked toward Dover High School.

“You give opportunities to kids they wouldn’t otherwise have [when you merge],” he said.

Merging districts to create a football program, as Millbrook has done, is just the reality of living in a small, rural district, said Hammell. At one point, he had six players signed up for the joint team, but only two agreed to play in Dover, so the full team merger fell apart. However, the two individual players ended up playing with the Dover Dragons.

Millbrook resident Patricia Aitken posted on mostlymillbrook on Aug. 11 that she was pleased Hammell’s plan worked out for the students.

“I think it’s great that a solution for the Millbrook players was reached… [I] hope they have a stellar season,” wrote Aitken.

“We are excited to give our football players the opportunity to compete this fall in Section 9 with the Dover football team,” said Hammell about the fall 2021 season. “Logistically the merger should run quite smoothly due to our close proximity to Dover.”

As a side note, Hammell said there’s more interest for soccer and baseball teams from students.

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