COVID-Modified Sports World
The vaccines are rolling out but in Arizona, kids won’t be eligible to get shots for a while yet. So my kids’ busy sports schedules have shifted around a little bit.
It’s been frustrating and confusing, but necessary, change.
Jack’s soccer season at Northwestern was postponed from the fall to the winter and is underway right now. They’ll have limited travel and will only play other Big 10 schools. Thankfully those games are streamed on the Big 10 Network so we can watch him play from home. Most games have very limited or no fan capacity, but as they transition to play outdoors they will open to family members.
Molly and Jeff and traveling over Molly’s spring break to visit Jack. Fingers crossed it isn’t too cold or windy to play outdoors – this way they can catch the game.
Charlie was able to participate in diving this year, but they didn’t allow any fans. That meant we couldn’t cheer him on. (I don’t think he was too upset about that.) Brophy canceled his Quidditch season in the fall. Too much close contact.
Lucy’s volleyball schedule continued, but with a very modified tournament schedule that we were very happy with. Usually, a tournament day lasts for 9 hours, with us just sitting and waiting for Lucy to play. To limit exposure, her first 3-day tournament had them playing two or three back-to-back games with parents reffing and one spectator per player. It was so nice to have such a short tournament day! The other tournaments are limiting spectators to three per team and in these cases, we have a parent who streams the game for those that cannot attend. I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching some of the early games from my bed in my PJs.
As for Molly, she opted to not play club soccer this year and to try out for her middle school team. She made it onto the A team and also helps out with the other team. We’ll encourage her to try out for tennis this spring and volleyball in the fall–that’s exactly how Lucy got started. It’s not as intense as club!
Most sports are now requiring either regular COVID tests or temperature checks, which we’re grateful for. Mostly, we’re just playing everything by ear and making it work–like everyone else. We know the importance of getting our kids some movement, but then also keeping everyone safe and healthy too!
