Should AB Cancel Sports This Year?
BY SUPRIA SHROFF '22
With the rising coronavirus cases and numerous “COVID-19 notification” emails, it’s undeniable that many families at AB are growing increasingly wary of in-person activities. Sports pose one of the most significant concerns due to the risk associated with physical contact. Further, almost all winter sports take place indoors. During a pandemic, the high concentration of people crammed into a tiny building and sharing the same recycled air is cause for concern.
In order to control the spread, the AB athletic department postponed some indoor sports to late February. Other sports started practices as normal but had a shortened season. These changes to the indoor sports schedule also pose questions about the spring sports season. At this point, it seems that AB may continue to host winter and spring sports. Final decisions will be contingent on COVID-19, so we don’t know for sure, especially since some Massachusetts schools have shut down or postponed sports while others continue playing. However, one thing is clear: if we strictly adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines, AB should be able to safely participate in indoor and outdoor sports.
Sports consist of much more than just games and competitions, so it would be beneficial to create ways to keep them around. Engaging in sports increases social interaction, provides fresh air and exercise, and teaches the importance of collaboration and hard work. During a pandemic in which most kids are sequestered away in their rooms with only a computer screen for company, sports are invaluable. For high school students, sports provide a much-needed break from the rigorous pace of homework and tests. According to the New York Times, studies have shown that many teens experience severe levels of depression due to the pressure of being stuck at home, especially without sports to mediate high levels of stress and anxiety. Further, seniors may be losing their last high school game, meet, or competition ever, thus missing significant milestones. High school student-athletes vying for an athletic scholarship may also forfeit their chance.
Ultimately, it all depends on safety. After all, the athletic directors don’t want to deprive student-athletes of their sport; they are simply doing what they feel is best for the community’s safety. Although sports provide many benefits to students, we must acknowledge that it is not okay to entertain unsafe situations. If our governor or the school board decide that we need to shut sports down, we must listen and understand. The athletic board recognizes that sometimes, masks can slip off, or social distancing protocols can be violated, so they have the authority to decide that it may be safer to not take the risk. To an extent, I agree. After all, we can’t play sports if we’re not healthy.
For this reason, we must cooperate and follow COVID-19 safety protocols carefully in order to continue playing sports. Further, for certain sports, teams stagger starts, meaning that smaller groups of athletes compete concurrently in order to minimize clusters of people. Players and volunteers should wear masks at all times and social distance when they need to take their masks off for a short amount of time. Hand sanitizer must be available at all venues. Coaches can continue to read COVID-19 guidelines before each practice. Implementing these strategies will hopefully mitigate the spread during sports.
All in all, sports obviously look different this year, but that's the sacrifice we should be willing to make in order to participate in them. We cannot contest the rules set by coaches, the school administration, and governments. However, if we demonstrate that we can responsibly hold practices and competitions, we should be able to play. COVID-19 is dangerous, but missing out on exercise and friendships built with teammates can be quite detrimental as well. Though physical health is obviously important, we cannot ignore how the lack of sports and other activities during the pandemic destroy teenagers’ mental health. Above all, we must trust what our leaders think will benefit our community and ultimately return us to normalcy.
In order to control the spread, the AB athletic department postponed some indoor sports to late February. Other sports started practices as normal but had a shortened season. These changes to the indoor sports schedule also pose questions about the spring sports season. At this point, it seems that AB may continue to host winter and spring sports. Final decisions will be contingent on COVID-19, so we don’t know for sure, especially since some Massachusetts schools have shut down or postponed sports while others continue playing. However, one thing is clear: if we strictly adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines, AB should be able to safely participate in indoor and outdoor sports.
Sports consist of much more than just games and competitions, so it would be beneficial to create ways to keep them around. Engaging in sports increases social interaction, provides fresh air and exercise, and teaches the importance of collaboration and hard work. During a pandemic in which most kids are sequestered away in their rooms with only a computer screen for company, sports are invaluable. For high school students, sports provide a much-needed break from the rigorous pace of homework and tests. According to the New York Times, studies have shown that many teens experience severe levels of depression due to the pressure of being stuck at home, especially without sports to mediate high levels of stress and anxiety. Further, seniors may be losing their last high school game, meet, or competition ever, thus missing significant milestones. High school student-athletes vying for an athletic scholarship may also forfeit their chance.
Ultimately, it all depends on safety. After all, the athletic directors don’t want to deprive student-athletes of their sport; they are simply doing what they feel is best for the community’s safety. Although sports provide many benefits to students, we must acknowledge that it is not okay to entertain unsafe situations. If our governor or the school board decide that we need to shut sports down, we must listen and understand. The athletic board recognizes that sometimes, masks can slip off, or social distancing protocols can be violated, so they have the authority to decide that it may be safer to not take the risk. To an extent, I agree. After all, we can’t play sports if we’re not healthy.
For this reason, we must cooperate and follow COVID-19 safety protocols carefully in order to continue playing sports. Further, for certain sports, teams stagger starts, meaning that smaller groups of athletes compete concurrently in order to minimize clusters of people. Players and volunteers should wear masks at all times and social distance when they need to take their masks off for a short amount of time. Hand sanitizer must be available at all venues. Coaches can continue to read COVID-19 guidelines before each practice. Implementing these strategies will hopefully mitigate the spread during sports.
All in all, sports obviously look different this year, but that's the sacrifice we should be willing to make in order to participate in them. We cannot contest the rules set by coaches, the school administration, and governments. However, if we demonstrate that we can responsibly hold practices and competitions, we should be able to play. COVID-19 is dangerous, but missing out on exercise and friendships built with teammates can be quite detrimental as well. Though physical health is obviously important, we cannot ignore how the lack of sports and other activities during the pandemic destroy teenagers’ mental health. Above all, we must trust what our leaders think will benefit our community and ultimately return us to normalcy.
