100 signatures reached
To: PSAL (Public School Athletic League)
🏀 Let Our Scholars Play: Bring PSAL Athletics to HBCU Early College Prep
Petition to Establish Sports Teams at HBCU Early College Prep
Give Our Students the Opportunity to Compete, Lead, and Thrive!
We, the students, parents, alumni, educators, and members of the HBCU Early College Prep community, respectfully petition the school to establish organized sports teams and athletic programs for our students.
Our students deserve access to the same opportunities available to students at other schools—including the opportunity to compete, build teamwork and leadership skills, develop discipline, represent their school, and create lasting memories with their classmates.
For an Early College Prep program, athletics can be more than competition. Sports can be a pathway to leadership, confidence, community, and college opportunity. Participation can help students develop time-management skills, accountability, resilience, communication, and the ability to work toward a common goal.
We believe establishing sports teams would:
- 🏆 Give students meaningful opportunities to compete and represent their school.
- 🎓 Support the development of well-rounded students prepared for college and beyond.
- 🤝 Build teamwork, leadership, discipline, and school community.
- 💙 Increase student engagement, school spirit, and a sense of belonging.
- 🎯 Provide opportunities for students whose talents may extend beyond the classroom.
- 🏫 Strengthen the school’s presence and connection within the broader community.
- 🎓 Potentially create additional pathways for students interested in collegiate athletics.
We recognize that establishing athletic programs requires planning, resources, facilities, qualified coaching, scheduling, and appropriate safety measures. We are not asking the school to overlook these considerations. We are asking the school to begin the conversation and develop a realistic plan for bringing athletics to our students.
We respectfully request that the administration and appropriate school leadership evaluate the feasibility of establishing sports teams for HBCU Early College Prep and engage parents, students, and the Parent Association in developing an athletic program.
Our students work hard academically. They should also have opportunities to compete, lead, belong, and represent their school with pride.
**Let’s give our scholars a chance to play.
Let’s give them a chance to lead.
Let’s give them a chance to represent HBCU Early College Prep.**
Let’s give them a chance to represent HBCU Early College Prep.**
Sign this petition to support the establishment of sports teams at HBCU Early College Prep.
Why is this important?
Why This Matters
Our students deserve a well-rounded educational experience—one that develops them academically, socially, and personally.
Sports provide opportunities that cannot always be replicated inside the classroom. They teach students how to work as a team, handle adversity, set goals, demonstrate discipline, lead others, and remain committed even when things get difficult.
For HBCU Early College Prep students, access to athletics can also help create stronger connections to their school and community while giving them another avenue to discover their talents and build confidence.
Most importantly, every student should have the opportunity to find something at school that makes them feel connected, valued, and proud to participate. For some students, that connection may be academics. For others, it may be music, the arts, leadership—or athletics.
Establishing sports teams would send an important message to our scholars:
You deserve opportunities to compete.
You deserve opportunities to lead.
You deserve opportunities to represent your school.
And your school believes in developing the whole student.
You deserve opportunities to lead.
You deserve opportunities to represent your school.
And your school believes in developing the whole student.
We are asking for the opportunity—not simply to create teams, but to create experiences that help prepare our scholars for life beyond the classroom.