This is the first summer in the history of state high school sports when equity has been a priority. All coaches in all sports, per a newly-adopted CIAC rule, are allowed up to four hours of weekly instructional time with players who choose to participate, thus allowing more equitable baselines of competition, giving have-nots at least one rock for the slingshot.

Indeed, it wasn’t always like this, with coaches (particularly football coaches) from affluent communities coaching their kids at expensive summer camps and clubs - opportunities that eluded low and moderate income families.

This is why I read with amusement recently quotes from some state football coaches concerned that multi-sport athletes would be “pulled in different directions” conceivably leading to “burnout.” This was never an issue when the same football coaches had their kids all to themselves every summer. Now that they must share and deal with that scourge called equity, they have these “concerns.”

I’ll take frauds for 600, Alex.

I mean, some of these football coaches are a hoot. They’ll go on a hunger strike to preserve Thanksgiving football, the sacrosanct “tradition” that manipulates the schedule and forces the 12 teams in the finals to play four football games in 17 days: Thanksgiving and three rounds of playoffs. No “burnout” issues there, right? No heeding the warnings of trainers and other medical personnel who say a glut of games in a short period of time increases risk of injury, right? Nah.

The truth? The new CIAC rule has been a smashing success, lauded in most places by coaches and kids alike. All sports treated equally. Yahtzee.

“It’s been great,” Waterford High three-sport athlete (soccer, basketball, baseball) Matt Shampine said. “I’m not burning out. I’ve focused more on playing (American Legion) baseball. So the day of a game, I’m not going to tire myself out. But our coaches at the high school have done a great job spreading out the workout times and reminding us all of it’s voluntary.”

Norwich Free Academy girls’ basketball coach Courtney Gomez: “It’s been great, honestly, as long as you don’t overdo it. We have to make sure to keep a balance between our players that have commitments to fall sports, too. But our numbers have been awesome.

“We’ve had the opportunity to get incoming freshmen in the gym to meet current players. It’s so meaningful for the whole program. The stress-free practice design helps us remember as coaches, I hope, that we love to teach the game and have fun watching kids develop and grow. There’s no pressure preparing for the next game. Overall, a positive addition.”

Football coaches in low/moderate income communities did a slow burn for many years watching the rich get richer. Their colleagues in affluent towns would send kids to college camps that cost nearly $200 daily (and got to coach their kids in that setting, too). But now?

“The summer program has been a blessing for us at Fitch,” Fitch football coach Mike Ellis said. “We are so far ahead of where we have been in the past in terms of installation and evaluating players. We have been able to work on techniques and also run some different drills that we normally don't get a chance to do. It has been a positive experience for our players and coaches.”

Ledyard assistant principal/athletic director Jim Buonocore said 333 kids are participating, improving fundamentals and techniques, building relationships and developing some continuity.

“Another key to the success has been our full departmental coaching staff working together,” Buonocore said. “We thrive off our multi-sport athletes. We wanted to ensure that all of our students had the opportunity to maximize their summer time and spend it as they see fit. I worked with our coaches to design a practice and facility schedule that avoided conflict for everyone, knowing they’re not mandatory. The response and participation has been fantastic.”

Many coaches pined for such summer workouts for years. The CIAC should be commended for listening and acting. Lots of happy people, except perhaps for a set of aggrieved football coaches used to getting their way. Cue the violins.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.