Under normal circumstances, I would be busily preparing for the opening of the fall sports seasons. I would be busy getting pictures of the football players, talking to coaches and enjoying the excitement and anticipation the new school year was bringing. These are not normal circumstances. Instead of making concrete plans for the season, I find myself wondering if there will be a season. By the time this reaches your kitchen table, living room easy chair or wherever else you may find yourself reading this, the Florida High School Athletic Association will likely have already made their decision on the fate of fall sports. Hopefully, they will decide to move ahead. Not just for the sake of a middle-aged guy who enjoys writing about the games and the student-athletes who play, but mainly for the sake of those very student-athletes.
I completely understand the desire to keep everyone safe and healthy. I don't want anyone getting sick. I admit that I'm no doctor, but from the statistics and numbers I've seen, this illness is not on the biblical scale to which some seem to be equating it. From everything I have seen, the flu is much more dangerous, especially for young people, than this COVID thing. Yet, I have never heard anyone ever suggest canceling school, much less school activities over the flu.
No doubt, there are some people who are at a greater risk of serious illness than others. Those who are older, or have health issues that put them at greater risk should take extra caution. Perhaps they aren't the ones who should be going to a football game this fall. But just because there are some people who may not be able to comfortably go to a ball game is no reason to not play the game, I think.
There are clearly valuable life lessons that are learned from participating in competitive sports. For many young people, competitive sports will be the only place they will be able to learn those lessons. If those students are left behind, they will face a far greater risk than any virus could ever pose.