Thousands of student athletes are celebrating after California gave the green light for outdoor sports to return. However, thousands more involved in indoor sports are still waiting to get back in the game.
Two Bay Area students don't want to wait much longer and have decided to take their case to court in hopes to get back on the court.
"It makes it harder during recruiting when others on the east coast have played and you haven't played in over a year," said 17-year-old Grant Lyon, a basketball player and junior at San Francisco University High School.
He's concerned the pandemic could impact his dreams of playing in college.
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Lyon and another basketball player at Saint Ignatious College Prep filed a lawsuit against the state and San Francisco County and argue that if the Golden State Warriors and college athletes can safely play indoors, then they should be able to do so as well.
"We would take the same precautions they do, and probably go farther by wearing masks during games which I'm OK with," Lyon said. "It's a matter of fairness.”
Marlowe Wells, a coach with Fierce Basketball says he supports the lawsuit because he's seen firsthand how tough it's been on young athletes who haven't been able to compete.
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"I think its good. I think its about time," the coach said. "I think its important to get young athletes back on the court because of the mental, social and physical aspects."
Lyon is represented by the same attorneys that filed a lawsuit in San Diego County, that ultimately led the state to lift restrictions on outdoor sports.
"All we’ve been doing is complaining that we’re not playing," Lyon said. "I just thought more people would listen if we take it to a higher level."
Similar lawsuits are also planned in Santa Clara County and Contra Costa County.
