Who thinks it’s a good idea to allow Kansas high school sports while COVID-19 rages?
The executive board of the Kansas State High School Activities Association reached a dangerous decision this week when it gave the go-ahead for sports and other extracurricular activities this fall.
Practice starts Aug. 17. Competition in some sports could begin that week; high school football games could start Sept. 2.
KSHSAA staff proposed pushing back the start of some sports, including football, by roughly a week. Incredibly, that was a bridge too far for five members of the executive board, who turned down any delay in the middle of a pandemic.
Members wrung their hands at the potential for psychological damage if games were postponed. “Mental health, mental health, mental health,” said Jason Herman of the Olathe district. “Our kids are absolutely needing it. And it’s not only our kids — it’s our coaches, and our teachers and our buildings.”
The executive board met remotely. Because of, you know, COVID-19. No students were on the call.
Thankfully, the KSHSAA executive board vote isn’t the last word on this subject. School districts can intervene, and they’ll be asked to do so during the next two weeks.
Their duty is clear: No school-sponsored outside activity should be approved unless and until students are fully protected from exposure to the coronavirus while competing. No student should put his or her health at higher risk while playing football, or soccer, or any sport where COVID-19 might be spread.
This is especially true for high school athletes, who are playing primarily for their love of competition. No students are paid (adults are, which may be playing a role here.) For most, no scholarships are on the line.
Strangely, the framework for protecting these athletes is far more flimsy than it is for their college and pro counterparts. High school athletes won’t be tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis. KSHSAA’s recommendations, issued this month, boil down to washing hands, taking temperatures, wearing masks if possible and staying home if you’re sick.
Those are the same steps everyone should take, athlete or not. Will they protect a football linebacker from exposure, or a volleyball player, or a gymnast? Unlikely. The legal liability alone should terrify school boards across the state. The moral liability is undeniable.
County health department must get involved. Guidance issued by the Johnson County Health Department recommends that, under current conditions, “high risk” activities such as football and soccer should be postponed. Group travel should be off-limits as well.
Incredibly, the county’s recommendation suggests spectators can still attend games if socially distanced. Major League Baseball, the NBA and other pro leagues are banning all fans from their stadiums. Which choice seems smarter?
It’s up to the adults in our region to act like adults and postpone or cancel games while COVID-19 rages.
If they don’t, however, we have another suggestion for students who are athletes: Don’t let anyone — a coach, a teacher, a teammate, a relative — force you to practice or play if you feel unsafe.
It’s true that COVID-19 is less fatal for younger patients. But it can have a dramatic impact on physical and mental functions, and some experts think the damage could be permanent. No game is worth that risk.
We remain in the middle of an escalating public health crisis. We can’t wish it away, or hope Fridays under the lights will take our minds off the disaster. Our kids need protection, and grown-ups must provide it — or students who are athletes should take matters into their own hands.