Cases Grow, Decisions Next

The announcement of the Ivy League canceling basketball this winter got me thinking of the chain reaction that happened this spring and wondering what would happen next. It brings me back to this feeling that everything with pandemic response gets presented as though there is the proverbial line in the sand and you are supposed to choose a side and not dare go back and forth once you have chosen your side.

I want to start with a story that I think illustrates my main point. In May a decision was made to move forward with our local church softball league. It is relatively non-competitive, but a whole bunch of fun. Many of us would have accepted if the league did not operate this season given what was going on. Instead, the league members met and churches were to go back and determine how many players were interested in playing, there were no handshakes after games, players who weren’t feeling well stayed home. It was not a huge surprise that the number of teams ended up reducing to 20 from the typical 30 teams. Many members opting not to play and then some teams combined. On the team, I play on there is a player in his 70’s (that is not a typo and he is actually still a pretty decent hitter). On our first day of practice, my assumption due to risk factors was that he would not be playing this year and yet there he was. My first reaction was to want to explain the risk factors and ensure he was aware, to do my duty as a citizen to inform the generation before me. Then after realizing he was a grown man likely fully informed and had the same concerns expressed to him multiple times by those far closer to and far more concerned than I was, I changed my approach. I instead said, “I wasn’t sure we would see you this year, good to see you”. He then explained that it was his 60th consecutive year playing church softball and explained how important it was to play this year. He went on to say how he knew it was risky and that if we were playing ball he was playing ball. There frankly was no “but it’s risky” argument from me after he described the importance.

So what in the world does my story have to do with my favorite sport. Well, I am not entirely sure but I will try and make a connection. It maybe sums up as simple as this, that man in his 70’s wanted to do what he loved, so find a way for these young men to do what they love as safely as possible. We are coming upon a time when some really challenging decisions will be made. I guess I want decision-makers to think about my story and how lacking flexibility and being unprepared, impacts the athletes and coaches that play the games and on a much smaller level the fans that watch them. I have never understood the all or nothingness of it all. I think I can say this with relative certainty, no matter what they need to do to make it happen athletes and coaches want to play and coach basketball. Most players are already doing what almost none of us would be willing to do at 18-22 years of age, stay away from others. I dont even ever want my children to find out about some of my activities in my early 20’s, so I certainly did not have the self-discipline at that age to avoid them, even for something important. So thank you players for what you already have and will sacrifice in order to play the game you love to play and we love to watch.

All of this wraps up with what am I suggesting should happen. Be flexible and be prepared and don’t draw lines in the sand. Don’t be all or nothing. So I guess I am asking an organization not known for their flexibility and preparedness to show both this basketball season. Games where testing shows risk should be postponed or canceled. There should be no minimum amount of games played this season as we don’t want teams putting each other at risk to ensure some minimum is met. Conferences determine what you are going to do about teams with missed games, do it now. Determine how your conference will be represented in the dance if the conference tournament can’t be played. Focus on steps to ensure the conference tournament has the best chance to go off without a hitch, even if that means quarantining before and bubbling up when everyone is there and the same for the NCAA Tournament. Typical season vs no season are not the only two available options here. No one is caught off guard like they were last March. Which means there is a greater ability to be flexible and be prepared.

I know some of this is coming from a selfish place, I love college basketball. Not having a season matters to me. In a year of tough times, uncertainties, not spending time with family, holidays without loved ones, I have come to appreciate things like watching Summit League basketball even more and would miss it even more. If it matters that much to me how much more does it matter to players and coaches. In an article full of repeating myself, why not one more time. Being prepared and flexible likely means basketball.