If proposed state budget cuts move forward, Emmett O’Brien Technical High School could lose its football team before it even officially exists.
Under Gov. Dan Malloy’s proposed state budget cuts, sports programs at all state technical high schools would be suspended for two years.
The cuts won’t necessarily happen if the state unions approve a concession package. Another vote is a possibility now, after state employee unions changed their bylaws Monday to allow for another vote.
But the uncertainty about the future of the program has hit Emmett O’Brien students and sports staff especially hard because they’ve been building a team from scratch over the past six months.
“Some of them are pretty much devastated,” said Emmett O’Brien’s new football coach Ken Roberts. “They’ve done an unbelievable amount of work to get it started at Emmett O’Brien.”
Background
Emmett O’Brien students have previously played football with Derby High School.
The schools have shared a co-op football team under the rules of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC).
But the CIAC changed the co-op rules that deal with how many people could be on the team, which means Emmett O’Brien is on its own this fall.
Without any uniforms, helmets or a coach, the school decided to build a team in 2011.
Putting Together A Team
So six months ago, parents, students and coaches started raising money to buy the team uniforms and equipment.
Students have sold sandwiches at the Shelton farmers market, and have held raffles and events to get donations for the equipment. Parent Sandy Rochon got her employer, Sears, to donate a snow blower to be raffled off. Another group of parents got donations of shoulder pads and helmets.
Roberts said they have raised about $5,000 so far.
“They’re doing everything they can to get the program started,” Roberts said. “But every time they turn around, they’re getting shut down.”
In the spring, about 40 students attended a football camp at the high school, to prepare them for the upcoming football season in September, according to Emmett O’Brien’s athletic director, Daniel Nemergut.
Over the summer, the football players have been exercising and lifting weights together to prepare for the season, Nemergut said.
Now, even those weight lifting sessions are up in the air.
“We’re unsure if we’re allowed to,” Roberts said.
There’s no option to hook back up with Derby, Nemergut said, because of the CIAC rules. Even if the CIAC gave Emmet O’Brien a pass, there would be no money for it in the state budget anyway.
If Emmett O’Brien students want to play football, or any sport, they would have to try out with the high school in their home towns, Nemergut said.
Uncertainty
No one is sure if the budget cuts will happen. Even if the unions decide to vote on the concession package again, it might not pass.
“It’s basically wait and see,” Nemergut said. “It’s a difficult time. I just hope cooler heads prevail.”
