We press on with sports as though we are immune to a deadly disease. We aren’t.
While we have over 3 million cases of COVID-19 in America, wrestling camps are being held for youngsters, girls only, and for elite high school wrestlers. For example, every Jordan-trained camp in Ohio has been full and, according to the schedule, one more camp will be held during the first week of August. A separate wrestling camp for various ages is being held in Camden, Georgia. I’m sure there are others.
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A wrestling room is a Petri dish. It’s moist, warm, closed, and full of bodily contact. These conditions are the reason why skin conditions, such as impetigo and ringworm, are prevalent. An open area with wrestling mats presents a danger because of the mats and the sport demand close contact, including having sweaty hands placed on sweaty bodies.
In such conditions, coaches and trainers have to be vigilant for any sign of disease, which can cause a wrestler–even a team–to lose mat time and matches. That’s always the case–especially now–because we are in the middle of a national pandemic.
Still, wrestling camps are being allowed.
I spoke with one camp director, who told me that precautions are being taken. Temperature checks are made each day, wrestlers work out each day with the same group, and no locker rooms are provided. As good as all that is (and even more is being done), there’s still the question of having camps during a pandemic.
I think we deceive ourselves. We close athletic action in one state (or in an area of a state), but the next door is open. For example, Union County, NC, allowed modified football workouts, but the area also has a cluster of COVID-19 because its school board allowed in-person high school graduation in late May. Some independent schools in Mecklenburg County, NC, conduct the same type of workouts, but the public schools do not.
Despite that inconsistency, we press on with sports as though we are immune to a deadly disease. We aren’t.
A college athlete has no or little choice in showing up for “voluntary workouts” because (in effect) s/he is a paid employee of the school. But parents of youth athletes have a choice as to whether to send their children to a sports camp. But with our ‘we can’t miss out’ attitude, the pandemic becomes secondary … but only if your child … brother … sister … parent … team … and family doesn’t suffer this disease. Full of risk, that’s an awfully big ‘but.’
