Being real in these times

As the 2020/ 2021 academic year is set to get going next Monday, one readily anticipates a cautious approach to be taken by the relevant authorities, as it relates to the hosting of sporting competitions.

This is in light of the fact that we are in the target zone of the threats of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
So as we must be concerned and cautious about what is happening around us, hopefully, the panic button is not pushed and it becomes the bright idea of a few that there is a shut down of schools’ sporting competitions for the first term.

Normally hosted in the first term are netball, football and table tennis, both at the primary and secondary schools’ level.

Whilst there has not been a formal announcement that there will or will not be any competitions at least for the first term, one cannot wait on such revelation to begin to make plausible suggestions, or attempt to steer the thinking of the shot callers in another direction.

Therefore, although we are still in a pandemic, life must go on, so too must sporting activities among students.
The reality is that our students have had to endure for the better part of a four- month period, ( March to June), whereby they had to, in some instances, be either confined or restricted, as there was little structured indoor or outdoor sporting competitions for them.

And, that now things are seemingly returning to some semblances of normalcy, it is only just that the students be part of that release valve, as they were stymied in uncertainty for some time.

But, as these policymakers mull over their decision, sporting events within the various communities and nationally have resumed.

There was the completion of the women’s, first and premier division of the national cricket programme; whilst softball cricket is being played in Marriaqua and another is set to commence at the Dauphine Playing Field this Sunday, while the national football championship of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation ends next week.

It was also made public this week, that community football has been given the green light to operate.

Basketball, tennis, squash and table tennis have all had their drips of activities within recent times.

They have though adopted an approach contingent on a set of health protocols that are to be observed. Protocols that students should have been accustomed to, to some extent, during their re-adjusted life for the past six months.

All in all though, it is pointless on one hand, to have almost the entire country being able to carry on with their business with little or no restriction, hopefully sports in the schools is not dealt the heavy hand of caution.
Whilst this exposition is based on mere conjecture, as there is no pronouncement either way, school sports should go on.

Hence, it has to be an instance of following the science and realist that whatever the health authorities are doing, and the response by the general public, the threats and fears of the coronavirus have been minimised.

But, should the policymakers apply foolish wisdom and decide to curtail all sporting activities, at least for the first term, what are the substitute plans to be put in place to have the footballers, netballers and table tennis players otherwise engaged?

This column would readily answer in the negative and the history of such officials would assure limited scope in their thinking and assessment of the impact of sports on the psyche of students.

Guarded with some optimism, there should be some staging of competition among students during the period September and December.

Let us wait and see what unfolds, and staying positive that the students would get opportunities to hone and display their sporting talent.