I can understand taking a cautious approach.
But there is zero evidence for on-field transmission in both baseball and softball. Fomite transmission is vanishingly small. As you allude to, CA's case rate is also now similar to that of neighboring states, which have allowed play to continue.
So, yes, very little evidence that sports are the problem.
But the unkind truth is kids don't vote and old people do - in droves.
@Eokerholm posted:That sucks! Exactly why my son chose to skip his senior basketball season to work out and be ready for spring baseball.
The restrictions on baseball (2 tickets/player) are absolutely asinine compared to the freedoms football had without any. How dies that affect scouts coming to games?
I'm so over the football bias in Texas.
Is the ticket restriction something new that UIL put out? I hadn’t heard that yet.
From FL:
https://fhsaa.arbitersports.co...20Considerations.pdf
The two that really make me wonder how it'll work:
Each school should provide sanitized ball (bucket) while on defense.
o Have a bucket of “dirty balls” available so they can be sanitized after the game.
* Umpires should not touch the baseballs.
So it'll be up to the defensive coach to "validate" not only the safety of the ball (it has to have proper markings), but also ensuring balls aren't scuffed, cut, etc. in any way during the game and put in use. hmmm.... When does a sanitized ball become a "dirty ball"? Ohh - now I know, when the players start chirping 'dirty ball' when the pitcher spikes one on a pitch.
And then there's:
Umpires should not share uniforms, towels apparel or equipment.
Umpires will arrive to the site or facility dressed in their uniforms (uniform tops may be put on
at the facility).
Driving in one's plate shoe's, shins, and chest protector will be more safe I guess ;-p
Going to be an interesting season - looking forward to it... I figure if football and basketball can do it, baseball should have no problem.
But football didn’t have squat for restrictions. We’re the umps and refs not allowed to touch the ball in football or basketball? I don’t think so.
Football bias is annoyingly obvious.
Do they have dirty balls in basketball? Both sports have way closer and personal contact, spit, and breath close by. So incredibly stupid.
Who comes up and passes this lunacy?
Seriously. Who?
Honestly, basketball is such a dirty sport. Think about all the areas that would need to be policed. The bottom of all the shoes, the sweat, the spit all on the ball being passed from player to player to ref. The people mopping up the sweat. Not to mention, it's played INSIDE! Good God, I feel sick! Baseball's got nothing on that!
Fortunately the authorities have proven they do not live in absolutes, so hopefully by Spring there will be some common sense applied.
High schools are trying to do too much and it's becoming absurd. What they should have been doing is observing summer baseball tournaments and events and see that things are going on as normal in these tournaments and there hasn't been a mass outbreak associated with any of these tournaments.
The experts are so smart that they are complete idiots. It's like the wrestlers not being able to shake hands after they roll around on the ground together. Zero common sense applied.
Good news for baseball in the Houston area. The Houston ISD reversed their decision on canceling sub varsity sports for the Spring.
Two weeks in and things are going to get interesting. My son has been catching the pens of all the top pitchers (seems like at their requests). Team has a hole at either 2b or 3b. There is a freshman C who played on one of the team USA things and absolutely crushes baseballs. He is also the slowest runner I think I've ever seen in HS. He also plays 1b/3b. My son is probably the second best MIF on the team and definitely a better C. So one of them will have to move or maybe coach will rotate them. Either way, my son is fine with wherever he's put.
Overall, the team will be better than I expected this year. Two pitchers at 90+, another at 88-89, and a few more around 85. The lineup should be very strong. The district/class they play in is full of highly ranked teams full of seniors, so I don't see them getting far in the playoffs when that time comes.
Well the season is off to a great start:
Monday-First Day of tryouts-rained out
Tuesday-New First day of tryouts- can't really do anything other than hit in the cage because the infield has grass all over it and everything is still wet from Sunday and Monday's rain.
Wednesday (today)- Get a text from the HC during my first planning period "no practice until the 18th"...his sister in law who lives with him tested positive for COVID and he has to quarantine for 2 weeks.
Maybe the best part of all of it is that Tuesday we had 19 kids show up for varsity and JV tryouts...19 total including one kid who has never played baseball at all, one who hasn't played in 3 years, and one who is a senior and has never played for our program (this kid actually looks like he can hit, but he didn't make a lick of contact yesterday).
Should we start separate threads dedicated specifically to HS and college?
