Later School Start Times Affect Sports Schedules

The bill requiring later school start times passed by the senate approved by Governor Gavin Newsom stated, “the schoolday for middle schools and high schools, including those operated as charter schools, to begin no earlier than 8:00 a.m.” When asked their opinions on this bill, most high school athletes and coaches have shown a disliking to this later start time. Sophomore Hunter Cartwright, a runner on the boy’s cross-country team said, “It gets rid of all the extra time I would normally have.” An issue that has been caused by this bill is the amount of school time athletes are missing when they go to competitions since they still take place at the normal start times. Varsity field hockey coach Bill Flory says “It makes students miss more class time.  The league hasn’t caught up to the changes yet.”  Some athletes on the other hand have said that they don’t mind these later start times. Senior Ike Ogbeide, a member of the Varsity football team stated, “practice still starts at the same time and it does not affect his schedule very much.”