Making the best of a strange season
Reasons to be grateful as high school football continues during coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on high school football, but it’s not all bad news.
Here are 10 reasons to be grateful. 1. Friday night football, which has provided an escape for parents, fans, students and this writer. After the kickoff, it’s all pretty normal. That’s something to look forward to.
2. The genuine gratitude
that kids and coaches have for getting to play football. It’s real and refreshing. Every coach and player realizes this season, whatever part of it they get to play, is a gift. Thank goodness it’s not Illinois, where a doctor associated with the Illinois High School Association suggested kids could return to playing basketball if they wear masks and where they won’t play football until the spring.
3. Doing away with the postgame handshake.
This might not be popular, but I’ve always thought there should be a pregame handshake or no handshake at all. Show good sportsmanship before the game. Go home after it. Celebrate if you win. Reflect if you lose. Also, I’ve seen many drive-by, clenched-teeth handshakes from coaches and players after a close game. That’s not the spirit, but I completely understand the feeling of not wanting to feign good sportsmanship after a tough loss. Waving to the other team from the sidelines is just fine.
4. Respecting the officials.
It’s taken a pandemic to make it happen, but there has been less protesting from coaches over officials’ calls. Tighter sideline protocols have helped the game run more efficiently. Arguing calls in high school football isn’t a huge issue, but anything that allows officials to move the game forward more expediently is welcome.
5. Covering football games outside.
This one is personal. Because of the need for school personnel and radio stations to be inside, print media reporters typically have covered games from makeshift tables set up outside this season. Again, it took a pandemic to figure out it’s less cramped and generally more comfortable to cover the game outside. The good weather has helped. It might be different in November, but having the option is what matters.
6. The quality of football.
The year-round training and the 7on-7 games that teams play in the summer haven’t made a huge difference, in my opinion. The limited offseason, which started in July, worked just fine. It was a throwback to the days when schools started football the first week of August and then played their first game 18 days later.
7. Fans wearing masks at games.
Not all fans have worn masks, but many have. The maskwearing is important because it’s
a visible reminder of the shared sacrifice and the extraordinary work that administrators, coaches and players have made to make the season possible. Besides, it’s the right thing to do, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says masks likely reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
8. That the Hammond schools, Calumet and Whiting
figured out they needed to play football this season after initially canceling it because of the pandemic. There was immense pressure for them to give it a try after the first half of the season was relatively successful in Northwest Indiana. It’s good to know that administrators and school boards aren’t too proud to correct a mistake.
9. Lake Central parents,
who saved the school the embarrassment of canceling the season. Parents sometimes are portrayed as being overinvolved and pushy when it comes to their children and high school sports. The parents were right this time.
10. The Indiana High School Athletic Association
for taking a chance on playing contact sports this fall in the face of immense skepticism. There are many people who said the season wouldn’t finish. They were wrong. The IHSAA made the right call. There have been dozens of canceled football games across the state, but the most important thing is the kids are playing. The psychological benefits of playing sports are significant, and the struggle has been worth it.