As journalists, we are taught to be as transparent as possible. So, I’ll get right to the gist of this column. I don’t think high school sports should take place this fall or even for the remainder of 2020.
My job is to cover sports within Laredo. That’s how I pay my bills. It’s my livelihood, and while I enjoy covering Gateway City sports, I also care about people’s overall health.
Like everyone else, I would be happy to be back to normalcy. I’ve been locked up inside my apartment with my dogs for 100-plus days. I only go outside to walk my dogs, run and shop for groceries every few weeks. I saw one of my friends for an hour early on during this crisis and went to the doctor’s office once. Those are the only two times I’ve had actual human interaction since this pandemic struck in mid-March. And while I would love to get back to the point in which I can speak to coaches such as Martin’s David Charles or St. Augustine’s Rodrigo Romo in person, we as a society are nowhere close to that yet.
Now, if the UIL and TAPPS decided to push fall sports back to the spring like the New Mexico Activities Association did on Thursday with its football and soccer seasons, I would welcome that plan. But the governing bodies within Texas need to think long and hard about the possibility of postponing or canceling the fall sports season. Here in Laredo, fall sports have already been pushed back until late September as the health department issued an order Friday stating that, “all school sponsored events and activities, including but not limited to clubs, sports, fairs, exhibitions, academic and/or athletic competition, shall not take place until school systems resume on-campus instruction.” This will not happen until after Sept. 4 at the earliest.
There’s a notion that young people are rarely affected by the coronavirus, that young people shouldn’t fear this virus. However, the City of Laredo confirmed that a male in his teens died on Tuesday due to COVID-19. As of Saturday, 1,229 people between the ages of 10-19 have been infected in the state, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services website. And the numbers continue to rise.
Now, I’m not the only person who feels fall sports such as football should not take place this season. Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told MSNBC during an interview on Thursday that he was doubtful that Texas high school football would happen in 2020. Heck, even colleges are worried that football will not happen this fall.
On Wednesday, the Ivy League announced that its football season will be moved to the spring. Then on Thursday, the Big Ten decided that its teams will only play conference games this fall. However, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is still not optimistic that football will happen this year.
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As of Saturday, 1,229 people between the ages of 10-19 have been infected in the Texas.
Photo: Cuate Santos /Laredo Morning Times FileAs of Saturday, 1,229 people between the ages of 10-19 have been infected in the Texas.
As of Saturday, 1,229 people between the ages of 10-19 have been infected in the Texas.
As of Saturday, 1,229 people between the ages of 10-19 have been infected in the Texas.
“I’m really concerned,” Smith told reporters Thursday. “You take the advice of medical people, then you watch the behavior and the fact that we’re spiking, and what the governors are fighting to help us help ourselves.
“We’re not in a good place. I would have a hard time doing something different than the (Center for Disease Control) guidelines — if we’re able to have fans in the stands. Two months ago, I was cautiously optimistic, but I’ve lost that.”
Like Smith, I was hopeful two months ago that the pandemic would slow down and be controllable come fall. However, as a nation and especially in South Texas, we are nowhere close to that.
Not only are Laredo’s coronavirus numbers spiking, but so are those in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio. Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez told The McAllen Monitor Thursday that, “in short, the tsunami is here,” as the Valley cases continue to surge.
Cigarroa and Martin’s district is made up of several San Antonio schools and one Valley school — Eagle Pass Winn is the only school in the league that isn’t from one of those two areas. Why should children venture out from one hotspot to another just for a sport, especially when it’s recommended to limit travel during this pandemic?
Canceling fall sports would obviously cause a ton of heartbreak. However, if athletes do take the field this year, they could still possibly suffer that same heartbreak but just later.
The State of Iowa has allowed high school baseball and softball to go on during this pandemic. For the most part, some schools have had luck in avoiding coronavirus. However, the state’s No. 1 team had to cancel the remainder of its season because a coach tested positive. If an athlete tests positive during Week 5 of the season, a team will likely have to cease competition for the remainder of the year. So, why even attempt to play when the possibility of a student-athlete being infected would still be high?
In addition, big state events that were set to take place later this year have already been canceled. The State Fair of Texas, slated for this fall, was canceled Tuesday because of ongoing concerns of the spread of COVID-19. If the state fair has been canceled months in advance, which was supposed to run during the latter part of September through the early portion of October, then why are we playing a waiting game to determine whether high school sports take place this fall?
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see United South go and try to defend its district championship this year. I would also love to watch St. Augustine play football for the first time in school history. However, with the current environment we are in, it isn’t safe for teams to take the field this fall.
I love sports. That’s why I got into sports journalism. There’s nothing better than covering Friday night football in the fall. But I value people’s health over sports. And with the way South Texas and the state in general are trending with coronavirus cases, it just isn’t worth putting everyone’s health at risk. That’s why I don’t think high school sports should take place this fall or even for the remainder of 2020.
gkroeger@lmtonline.com
Twitter: @gkroegs
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July 12, 2020 at 08:35PM
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Kroeger: Fall sports would be nice, but shouldn’t occur - Laredo Morning Times
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