Covid and Sports

You just thought that this Covid thing was gone. The most skeptical of us didn’t think that a year later we would still be fighting this thing. I heard a report yesterday that more people had died the day before than the worst day in September. I’m not sure how accurate that is but clearly, Covid is still with us.

It’s wreaking havoc on March Madness. College basketball’s crown event is not nearly the event it has always been. Teams that maybe should have made the tournament didn’t. UT’s inconsistency can, in part, be attributed to the pandemic.

Now they’re in the national championship tournament. And it is anything but business as usual. For one thing, the teams are totally isolated. Can you imagine being cooped up in a hotel room in Indianapolis and the only time you can come out is for practice and games? That’s a nightmare for a college kid.

Already one set of officials have been sent home after one tested positive. It would come as a surprise to no one if one or more teams in the tournament suffered an end to their season for the same reason.

There is no doubt that Covid has had a huge impact on the college basketball regular season as well. Baylor was dominating everyone until not one but two pauses in their season because of Covid. Sometimes it’s the lucky teams that advance.

The high school spring sports season is off to a tenuous start. No one knows what will happen. The abrupt end to last year’s spring sports season is an all too fresh memory.

One of Mark Eldridge’s best teams was denied the opportunity to contend for a state championship.  Same thing for Jeff Sherman’s Heritage softball team. It took great effort to maintain any consistency during the high school basketball seasons. You never knew who was going to be available on any given night.

Baseball and softball teams are already behind because their seasons and summer leagues were both cancelled last year. All the while, teams are working hard to stay safe and Covid-free.

Youth leagues were impacted as well. I haven’t seen any of my grandchildren play sports in quite some time. Parents and siblings could attend games but grandparents could not (until more recently).

Sports as we know them have been changed. Yet, we have this burning desire to return to some sense of normalcy in our sports. That’s why you see conflicts all around the country about Covid safeguards.

Should we open up our games and events? I struggle with that one. I believe that our kids need sports. I believe that with all my heart. But open up without restrictions or precautions? No, not at all.

Are we going to get through this pandemic only to face another? There is a very real possibility of that. So why not just go ahead and open everything up now? Certainly, there is some assumed risk with walking out your front door.

That’s all well and good until it is one of your own family members that becomes infected. Then the game is changed.

We need to do everything we can to defeat Covid today. And then dedicate ourselves to better health practices and to continued research on the best ways to treat this and any other pandemic that comes along.

That means that wear your mask, wash your hands, keep your hands away from your face, and go home if you feel sick.

It means that being physically fit, eating well, and practicing good health habits are more important than ever, because we know that the healthier you are, the more likely you are to beat this and other diseases.

It means that you should get vaccinated. As soon as the vaccination became available, I was there. You should do the same. We need a team effort to defeat this thing.

What did you learn?

When you worked at something really, really hard but didn’t make it, what did you learn? When you worked and worked and didn’t win the game, what did you take away from it?

For pretty much every sport that’s out there, your last game is most likely a loss. At the end of the football season, only one team ends the season with a win—the state champion.  Basketball, definitely the same way.

And everyone works hard. I don’t know any team that doesn’t put in the effort. Sure, some put more effort into it than others, but everybody works hard.

I can remember one time several years ago when a football coach dropped by football practice at Maryville High School.  That’s not unusual, particularly late in the season and especially when the playoffs have started.

One of my unknown jobs is to check out any visitors. Don’t get me wrong, MHS practices are generally open and visiting coaches are welcomed with open arms.

But you don’t really want a scout from this week’s opponent getting too close to practice.  So, I always introduce myself and subtly find out who they are and why they’re there. It’s a pleasant part of the job. I get to meet all kinds of new people.

On this particular occasion, the coach was from a school not too far away.  His question was a common one: “What sets Maryville apart?”

I’ve gotten that same question for years.  The answer is elusive and I’m not going to go into that right now. I get the same question about Alcoa football.

But this coach asked a question that I found a bit odd.  He asked “how many of your kids do you get in summer workouts?” Hmmmm. Uh, all of them.

His program was good but not great. I asked him the same question. “About half.” Really? Only about half? If you don’t participate in summer workouts around here, you aren’t on the team.

But that’s only about half the point. In the face of a season that will quite possibly end in a loss, what is all the effort worth? The winter workouts, the hot summers, the long preseason. Is it worth it?

Let me jump to one conclusion really quickly—ABSOLUTELY YES. 

The opportunity to compete, to test yourself against a worthy opponent.  The thrill of victory. The joy of being a part of a team. Being able to express yourself physically. 

All those things and more make sports important, even essential. But the most important part of sports participation may be the lessons learned.

As Douglas MacArthur once said, “on the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days, on other fields will bear the fruits of victory.”

So, you must ask yourself, What did I learn? What do I take away from my sports participation? What will I do with it?

I’ve heard a number of coaches make the statement “don’t let this be the best thing you ever do.” What did those lessons teach you? And what are you going to do with what you learned?

My Why

 What are you looking for when you stop at this space?  News about the sports world? Advice for injuries? Ideas for how to be healthier? Or happier?

I really don’t know exactly when I started writing this column. It was about 1986, when Gary Turner was the Sports Editor. That’s 35 years. I really never thought about much beyond the next column back then. Still don’t.

At first, it was called The Jock Doc. That was Gary’s idea. Somewhere along the way, columns quit having catchy names like that. I can’t say I was disappointed. I caught some grief for that title.

In the early days, it was almost always about injuries. Then I discovered I couldn’t write about sprained ankles, concussions, and dealing with the heat but so many times before I started repeating myself. That’s not to say I haven’t repeated myself. I’m sure I have.

At an average of about 800 words each, times 52 weeks a year, times 35 years…that’s almost a million and a half words. Every English teacher I ever had just rolled over in their grave.

Somewhere along the way, I branched out into a lot of other issues. I’ve avoided politics and religion but if you read between the lines, you’ve probably noticed something about both of those from time to time.

So, why have you made it this far?

Ok, let’s talk about my why. I’m a teacher at heart. My first college degree was in education. I believe an important part of my job as a physical therapist and athletic trainer is to teach.

I teach my patients how to deal with their orthopedic issues.  I teach them how to move. I teach them exercise and activities that they can do.

I’m probably a preacher at heart. Once upon a time, I thought I might want to be a preacher. I believe I was 12 and involved with Youth Day at my church. My Mom was thrilled at that prospect. That didn’t work out.

I’ve been accused of preaching in this space. OK. Probably. I’ve tried to preach without being preachy. My sermon is about how to be healthier. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and, maybe as a by-product, spiritually.

I probably should have been a cheerleader. Goodness knows that I’ve been accused of that by my words in this space. It’s just that I’ve never wanted to be negative about things. About life. I’ve always wanted to be a positive influence in everything I do.

That’s why I would never tell a kid what they can’t do with their life. I believe in dreaming big and then chasing those dreams.

That’s why I like to keep it real. That’s why my diet advice is tempered by the fact that food should be one of life’s delights. That a good cheeseburger with Benton’s bacon is meant to be enjoyed from time to time. Or that anything with cream cheese on it is worthy.

I will never understand smoking and I always try to offer effective tools for dealing with obesity but I will never hate based on those things.

My why?  To share what I’ve learned about sports and life and living. To inspire, encourage, and create reflection. To help you live a happier and more active life. To admit to the mistakes I’ve made and to point out the heroes among us.

That’s all.