“We are following the state guidelines and have postponed the start of in-person winter athletics until we return in January,” Head of School Tom Dillow said. “Student-athletes should have received a Google classroom invitation for their respective sport by now. Coaches will be posting workouts regularly to the classroom. We will update you further on this soon.”
While it is unfortunate that winter sports are being postponed, it is a necessary action that needs to be taken. However, there is still hope for winter sports to be able to take place.
Just like in the fall, there is a risk involved in playing sports, even more so now. Due to winter sports being inside, precautions need to be taken more seriously to ensure the safety of everyone involved. If temperatures are taken, there is a way to prevent or eliminate bodily fluids, and proper cleaning measures take place, there is a very good chance winter sports will be able to take place.
Perhaps only one game a week will be able to be played, so there is time for symptoms of any virus to show up and allow enough time for proper contact tracing to take place. Due to being indoors, the virus has the potential to spread much quicker and more easier than fall sports. No spectators or parents should be allowed at games. It is important to keep the number of people exposed as low as possible. However, this just means that a team manager or assistant coach could videotape the game and live stream, or post it elsewhere later. This will allow the winter sports teams to get film, as well as support from their community.
Despite the efforts by the KO community and the outside world to remain safe and keep the numbers down, the start of winter sports has been postponed to January 15 due to the risk involved. If by January 15 the risk of playing is still too large, there will be no choice but to cancel winter sports, which is an unfortunate but necessary action.
So far, winter sports have consisted of workouts being posted by coaches on Google Classroom. This is a way for student-athletes to stay in shape and even compete against other team members during this time. While it is not the same as the real thing, at least it gives athletes motivation and something to look forward to while they are waiting to see what the future holds for their sport.
Once again, it is very important to follow the safety measures if you would like winter sports to even be a possibility. It is up to us as a community to remain safe and healthy during this time. Put yourself into the shoes of the student-athletes here at KO who really want this season to take place. They may need it for college recruitment, or just want to play their sport one last time before college.
