The previous post mentioned the new Centers for Disease Control guidance for school sports administrators, which includes the types of cooperation they should look for from coaches, teachers, and parents:
Space players at least 6 feet apart on the field (e.g., during warmup, skill building activities, simulation drills, while explaining rules)…
In the old days, parochial schools held very sedate parties for teenagers, to teach social graces. If a couple slow-danced too close, an adult chaperone would step in to tap the boy’s shoulder and say, “Leave room between you for the Holy Ghost.” Now, the warning would be, “Leave enough space for two wheelchairs,” or the length of a medical exam table, or the distance from top to bottom of a shower curtain.
Once again, adult chaperones are needed to keep the kids away from each other. Parents are urged by the CDC to stick around at athletic practices and events, and remind their kids about the mask and distance rules. All staff, parents, and everyone else involved, must set the example, and forget about handshakes or (shudder) hugs.
And keep participants apart unless nearness is absolutely necessary to the sport. Before the official starting time, athletes are asked to wait in cars with the adult/s who brought them. When the event is over, no lingering or mingling. Parents are also asked to bring support materials:
Ensure adequate supplies to support healthy hygiene. Supplies include soap, water, hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, masks (as feasible), and no-touch trash cans.
The planet is a victim, too
The pandemic has affected the travel industrial complex in many ways. Toll roads are struggling. Traffic dropped a lot in March and April of last year, and air pollution went down for a while. But people still have to go places, or at least, we successfully convince ourselves that we have to. In Manhattan, traffic is said to have almost returned to pre-pandemic normal. In September, SmartBrief.com reported,
As state and local governments begin reopening, businesses and in-person activities have led to an increase in vehicle miles traveled in cities across the country. Today, “vehicle miles traveled (VMT) nationwide is almost back to where it was in March,” said Laura Schewel, CEO and co-founder of StreetLight Data.
Just so you know, both these excerpts are from an article described as sponsored content from IBM. It goes on:
Current trends show an increasing preference for the personal car. A rise in single-occupancy vehicle commuting could cause a massive influx in road traffic, causing huge congestion and delays going forward.
Of course, people want to be in their individual cars if possible. Subways and buses can be death traps. After years of training the public to lower poisonous emissions by carpooling, and building special highway lanes to reward high-occupancy vehicles, it is a shame that the authorities now have to cater to the pandemic, which tries to ruin everything. The CDC advice to everyone partaking in youth sports is,
Limit the use of carpools or van pools. When riding in an automobile to a sports event, encourage players to ride to the sports event with persons living in their same household.
Another thing parents should absolutely do is, notify the school if a child has one of the co-morbidities that make COVID-19 extra dangerous. Any adult with a connection to youth sports will find a plethora of helpful ideas, along with resources like coach checklists, posters, etc., at the CDC site.
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: “Considerations for Youth Sports Administrators,” CDC.gov, 12/31/2020
Source: “Q&A: Coronavirus pandemic takes a toll on tolling industry,” SmartBrief.com, 09/04/20
Image by Paul Sableman/CC BY 2.0
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