Should sports start when school is back in session?

Russ: Welcome to SportsWise! Russ Adams here, ready to express my thoughts on schools opening up—or not—their sports programs in this world of coronavirus. I’m excited to be sitting here next to my man—the newest member of SportsWise—Patrick Edwards.

Patrick: Thank you, Russ. I won’t lie: after last week’s laydown, I can’t wait to hear your comments on this topic. I have a few thoughts on the topic, but I’m eager to hear what you have to say. Russ: Yeah, that’s not pressure. None at all.

Both: (Laughing.)

Russ: I will speak, though. I say let’s skip the school sports season this year. By then, we should be okay in better dealing with COVID-19. If not, we’re still around, so, at least, we’re still relatively healthy.

Patrick: Good point.

Russ: I mean, shoot, spend some quality time with family, get deep into whatever passion you’ve always wanted to get deep in; perhaps even study like you’ve never thought you had the time or the desire to do. Work it out. Because the one thing I’ve always thought is that to embrace these three things is the key to us, the community of all, bringing about an ideal. And that sounds like something I can definitely get down with.

Patrick: You and me both, my man. Russ: For sure, cancelling the entire school sports season is a very tough decision…it really is…but I can’t see doing anything but to wait this thing out. The owners, especially—at least for the most part—want to go ahead and get the cash registers back to rolling, but, man, this being a life or death situation, I don’t feel it’s anywhere near to worth it. You feel me?

Patrick: I do…but to a very fine point. With youth sports being all that it is—a fulfiller, a joy, shoot, for many, a friggin’ chance—to deny them the opportunity—albeit, hopefully, for a brief moment in time—is a move I don’t know if I can get behind. Every second that some of these cats aren’t out there grinding on the court, or the gridiron, or the track— wherever—is time and opportunity to veer off the path to becoming what we think of when we think “respectable citizen.” Let’s minimize the mind-numbing damage by allowing the youth to be, well, youthful. That strive to get better, to be better; shoot, to be somebody in the best way they know how.

Russ: Right on. Let me say this, too, I watch all sports. I mean, all sports. So I’m hurting a lil’ bit now… but I’ll manage. I'll manage even without the Little League World Series—that early sports opportunity for inner-city poor kids to shine, to have pure fun, to effin believe. To believe that there’s something more out there waiting for them to discover and to latch onto—and to not let go of.

Patrick: Man, Russ, you’re making me wish I could swing back to 12 years old. You really are.

Russ: Listen, one year of seasons won’t bring down the world, because the strong really do survive—I really believe that—and for those kids, and I don’t mean just the inner-city youth, I mean ALL youth who are involved, these kids, though they deeply need that time, that experience, to keep doing what they’re doing, also should be allowed to live. Not sure if I’ve said it, but know I realize the situation we’re in—we’re in some deep, deep stuff—but we can and will get through this. Shoot, we’re the human race.

If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail us at pedwards@streetwise.org.