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  1. #1
    mikala is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default Travel sports during a pandemic

    I keep seeing FB posts with closely packed group pics of pre-teen baseball teams, captioned with how much fun it was to play against teams from a tri-state area, or how their child played with a team comprised of all-star players from around the region. It's like they are totally ignoring the fact we're in a pandemic. I get wanting to maintain sports skills and have team socialization but is it really necessary to share viral particles among players and families from different geographic areas?? Families are traveling, staying at hotels, eating from restaurants for a group of 10 year olds to get a trophy. I just don't get it.

    Is this happening in other places? Are your kids participating in these kinds of activities?

    Shouldn't we as a society be prioritizing things like lowering the rate of spread so we can safely open in-person schools over optional activities like this?
    Last edited by mikala; 08-11-2020 at 12:01 PM.

  2. #2
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    Yep and the baseball kids seem to be exceptionally un-distanced in the pics I see. Which makes no sense because if any sport allowed distancing, its that (with the exception of crowding around bases). There’s no reason for them to be all huddled on the bench, imo. The team pictures shared by many of my friends this summer admittedly make me feel judgmental. I know for a fact that there aren’t testing protocols either so I just don’t get it. I’m sure plenty of people say, “it’s fine! No one got sick!” Great. But, seems too risky.


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  3. #3
    PunkyBoo is online now Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    We live in a tract that has a small park in it, and we love to walk in the evening after dinner. Last night our little park was completely packed- there were boys practicing for baseball (which I think is strange, this is a small park with no baseball field, they were all just in the grass area), plus all the coaches, all the parents, and a ton of younger kids on the playground. No masks. No distancing. DH and I rerouted our walk to a different part of the tract to avoid the crowd. This is in orange county, California, where our numbers are still spiking. We couldn't believe it.
    My DS1 plays HS tennis and they aren't even practicing yet- it's fairly easy to practice distancing in tennis!!

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    Mama to DS1 Punkin (2/04) and DS2 Boo (1/09)

  4. #4
    acmom is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    My kids are playing baseball / softball. They started back playing with their teams about a month ago. Both teams do have some Covid protocols in place - health screening ?s/temps, masks when they aren't in the field, no use of dugouts or only 3 kids in the dugout (rest spread out down the fence), no shared equipment, hand sanitizer between innings and spectators limited in # and must be masked and/or 6ft apart. We are playing in our area with all local kids. I will say some families and players do a better job than others. I have been on mine about the social distancing piece, but they each have been in a team pic like you are describing (which I wasn't comfortable with, but it happened spontaneously and I wasn't close enough to prevent it). My son actually does a great job - he literally backs or spins away from people getting too close! My daughter I have had to remind more. My husband and I stay spaced from others watching. At this point, it is really the only real risk we have taken (no restaurants, very minimal shopping, no family/friend get togethers). Due to the fact we are in NY and our #s are as low as they have been since this started and baseball/softball is all outside, we decided to take the risk. Our kids really needed some kind of socializing and more physical activity for their mental health and we felt like that made it worth it. Plus we know that our winters here are long and #s will probably go back up so we felt like this was a limited time opportunity. If we were somewhere where #s were higher though, we wouldn't have made that choice.
    Last edited by acmom; 08-11-2020 at 12:26 PM.

  5. #5
    ezcc is offline Gold level (500+ posts)
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    Our 17 year old ds decided to quit baseball this winter and dh and I were sad about it- he played travel for years but his team had folded and most of his friends moved to a much more competitive league. But now I am glad, yes these kids have been traveling all over the south this summer for tournaments- hotels, restaurants etc. I couldn't do it, not to mention the expense! We never did anything out of state on his old team. I will say that as rising seniors these kids are feeling the pressure to play if they are hoping to play in college- it really doesn't make sense for younger kids. He plays water polo as a fall sport for school, and they just started up with practice at an outdoor pool but I am guessing they won't really have a season .

    eta- if his old team was still playing I would let him play, it is the out of state tournaments and travel that leave me a little aghast. Younger ds missed his first little league season, and if they were to have fall ball this year I would probably do it.
    Last edited by ezcc; 08-11-2020 at 12:28 PM.

  6. #6
    Liziz is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Yes, this is happening in my area and it drives me crazy to see. No distancing, packing together, eating together, etc. People use this sliding logic that absolutely baffles me -- "schools are open, so if kids are going to school, why not let them play sports too? They're already exposed!" and then "well, if the kids are all exposed already, the parents can hang out too, since the kids live with us and it's all the same exposure pool". AAAAGH!!! It makes me crazy. I don't think people get that every single reduction in risk is helpful, and that doing one potentially risky thing (in person school) doesn't mean it's fine to do other things (travel sports teams with kids from lots of different schools and parents all mixing).

    I put a high priority on in-person schooling and am willing to be practically isolated in all other aspects of my life so my kids can safely attend school in person, but it seems like most people around here feel like if schools are going to be open then that means it's totally anything goes for all aspects of life. My kids are going to in person school but are NOT doing any team sports.
    Lizi

  7. #7
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    In our area, baseball and lacrosse have continued playing tournaments, local and traveling out of state for them. The pictures my friends have posted don't look any different than prepandemic. Kids huddled together, parents close on the sidelines, swimming in the hotel pools as a large group and dining in restaurants. The cheer gyms and gymnastics gyms are trending towards functioning on a normal level.

    My boys play soccer. Their club has only been holding socially distant outdoor practices. Coaches are supposed to wear masks, no parents on the fields. DS2's team has been holding additional unofficial practices for small-sided team scrimmages. Obviously there is some closeness while playing but no huddling. Perfect? No but as strict as we have been, it's very hard for competitive, active kids to be without an outlet and it's outdoors. We've allowed it.

    I am pleasantly surprised at our case data this week - numbers are down and test positivity hit 5% today after a very slow decline. Hospitalizations are holding steady over the last month instead of the rise prior. Still not good, but not exploding like so many other Southern states.
    Mom to Two Wild and Crazy Boys and One Sweet Baby Girl

  8. #8
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    DS, 10, plays AAU basketball. The older teams in his organization have been traveling over the border for about a month to play in tournaments since they aren't allowed in NC yet. His coach was trying to get the team together to do the same, but there has been a lot of concern from parents. We had a Zoom call last week and have decided to pause practice and regroup in September. His coach is determined to play this fall, though. He said if kids want to sit it out, he'll refund any money paid and we can regroup in late winter for tryouts for next spring season. In the meanwhile, he'll find other kids to play. I'm on the fence -- DH is more inclined to play. Our 10-year-old says he wants to play, but he doesn't want to get "the COVID."

    So I don't know what we're doing. As Carolinamama said, our state numbers are looking better, which means we could move into another phase next month. There's just something weird about sneaking over the border that doesn't sit well with me.

    ETA: As Eczz said, I completely get why seniors, juniors and even some sophomores want to play. Recruiters do attend some tournaments.
    Last edited by carolinacool; 08-11-2020 at 01:05 PM.
    DS: Raising heck since 12/09

  9. #9
    klwa is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    We've got friends who spent the summer going to all their normal tournaments. One of DH's cousins and his daughter (who was the player) both caught Covid while at a tournament in Myrtle Beach. Thankfully, they had mild cases, but even after that, they kept going.

    At least one set of friends have a daughter who is about to start college this fall, playing softball there. Yet, they STILL went to multiple tournaments for travel ball over the summer. So, in their case, it wasn't to get scout attention, just insanity.
    -Kris
    DS (9/05)
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by klwa View Post
    We've got friends who spent the summer going to all their normal tournaments. One of DH's cousins and his daughter (who was the player) both caught Covid while at a tournament in Myrtle Beach. Thankfully, they had mild cases, but even after that, they kept going.
    I told DH I might be OK going to Rock Hill and Fort Mill, but I have no interest in any tournament in or around Myrtle Beach. Nope.
    DS: Raising heck since 12/09

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