On the TunneySide of Sports August 24, 2020 #810 Up next…To Play or Not to Play?
After further review… To play or not to play remains the question in the thinking of most people —at least most people in our U.S.A. At this writing, I’m not aware of what other countries are having to face, and, frankly, it’s not a concern here. The COVID-19 Pandemic is “alive and well,” if that’s an apt term here, in America with more than 5.5 million being directly infected. Businesses, large and small, as well as schools have been government-ordered “shelter-in-place” by closing their doors. How do we have T*E*A*M sports in schools without players?
Most high school districts have decided to cancel fall sports fearing the gathering of students in the usual environment would spread the coronavirus, since physical distancing may not be possible. Some schools chose to remain open by creating innovative ways to maintain some sort of distancing in the classroom. Let’s hope those methods work effectively.
How do you teach/coach football – a traditional fall sport – and create or maintain distancing? Football, by its nature and definition, is a contact sport as we have heard coaches shouting, “Ya gotta knock somebody down!” How do you teach blocking and tackling and maintain physical distancing? You can’t! At least I’ve never seen it done that way. Further, football is a team sport (as are most others). Gathering together is an essential element – e.g., the huddle.
Many college football conferences have canceled their fall sports with football seemingly being of the greatest concern. Not only do student bodies need to rally in support of their team, but the financial revenue is vital in the financing of football as well as their other college sports. In canceling these fall sports, the paramount issue is – and should be – the health and welfare of their students. In all school activities parents entrust the faculty and staff to ensure the well being of their students — thus the expression “in loco parentis” meaning “school personnel assumes the rights and duties of a parent” with the added word responsibility.
Some schools have moved their football program to the spring semester, assuming that the COVID-19 will be under control. This raises the question of the usual spring sports. How do they fit them in the scheduling? If football is played in the months of April, May, and June, do the usual spring sports get canceled? Is that fair to them? Although it may affect only a few, what about those double-sport athletes who will not have that opportunity?
Will you log-in your thoughts on how to manage sports in our schools in these Pandemic times?
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