The request from parents and organizers of youth sports of “Let the Kids Play” is going to remain unfulfilled for the fall 2020 recreation sports season after the Rockmart City Council voted to cancel the season and return money to the parents who have already signed up and paid dues.

Council members heard from the Recreation Department’s Jeff Hulsey and Robert Torline over how fall sports organizing had been going up to that point, and asked that if no decision was rendered on Tuesday evening about the status of the season that they needed to know by September 1.

Torline set that date after explaining the process that would be required to gather together uniforms, arrange for umpires and referees for various sports, and setting up a schedule for the teams to follow that would have staggered games.

However, City Manager Jeff Ellis pointed out that the 36 requirements for a non-essential service like recreation sports to be met by Rockmart’s recreation department to be able to even consider playing was going to be near impossible. Council members voiced their concerns as well over COVID-19 spreading throughout the teams of youth, and the parents and grandparents who are watching from the sidelines.

City officials expressed their concern not just over being able to meet requirements to allow a non-essential items like fall sports to continue. The liability concerns over people getting sick and then suing the city over their illness was on the forefront of Ellis’ mind when he recommended that the city not move forward with fall sports. He said consultation with the firm representing the city as their attorney made that point as well, and that the city would be responsible for any lawsuits that came out of any potential COVID-19 related litigation, not insurance providers covering the city.

Ultimately though, it came down to what council member Lucile Harris said to recreation staff: “do we want to put a child through that” if they were to get sick.

“That child will go home, and they’ll go see the grandparents. How many grandparents have died just because a grandchild went to see them after playing ball?” she asked. “It is hard for us to deal with. We have to remember that we live by faith, not by what we see.”

The council vote to call off fall sports was unanimous. The hope of council members and administration alike is that Rockmart’s recreation department will be able to bring back sports for youth this winter in January.