Groves, Seaholm unable to compete at home
BIRMINGHAM » When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recommended a two-week pause in youth sports last Friday, Birmingham Seaholm and Birmingham Groves both elected to continue with their high school athletics as scheduled.
Relying on the required antigen testing program that was put in place by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, both schools believed that was the best way to keep their student-athletes safe while continuing with a spring season that never happened in 2020.
While that allowed spring sports to continue at both schools, the golf teams at Seaholm and Groves found themselves hitting a slight roadblock.
At the request of Gov. Whitmer
and the MDHHS, the City of Birmingham elected to pause the use of its indoor and outdoor recreational facilities for organized youth sports for two weeks. That pause is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, April 25.
Among those facilities are Lincoln Hills Golf Course and Springdale Golf Course, which are home to the Groves and Seaholm golf teams, respectively.
“We watched the press conference and I decided it is best to do our part in Birmingham here to facilitate that urgent need to try to slow down the spread,” Birmingham Fire Department Chief Paul Wells said of the deci
sion. “So, we decided to cancel the usage of any of our city facilities that have any youth sports
During this pause, the Maples and Falcons will be unable to compete in an event on those courses, or hold organized team practices at those locations.
The courses remain open to the public for individual and family use during the pause, which does open the door for the golfers to practice on the course as individuals, but not together as a team.
“I understand the reasoning, because COVID is a serious issue. The only issue I have is that all the track teams are running, all the soccer teams are playing and what not. We are the only team in the school impacted by this and golf is one of the safest activities you can do during this time,” Groves golf coach Andre White said.
On Wednesday, 7,955 new daily cases of COVID-19 were reported. The 7-day average is at its highest point since mid-November.
Wells cited the increased capacity of hospitals as a factor in this decision as well as the rising case numbers.
“I didn’t make this decision just because the governor, I’m making it because I work with Beaumont (Hospitals).
“My paramedics go to Beaumont daily with patients, because we’re an advanced life support agency,” Wells said.
“My worry is for the 40-year-old father of three that has a heart attack, and he can’t get the proper treatment, because the hospitals are full, and overworked.”
While Groves and Seaholm won’t be competing
on their home courses during this pause, they still are able to compete in events on other courses and would be allowed to hold a practice as a team on a course not under the City of Birmingham’s order.
“I don’t think it’s really resolved anything,” White said. “The simple reason for that is we still have matches at other courses that we are able to go and play in. So, we’re able to go to other courses and play against teams that are still practicing and holding events. Groves and Seaholm are the only teams in this situation. If all the county teams would have done this, I think it would have made more sense.”
Wells is hoping that Groves and Seaholm will refrain from competing at other courses during this pause.
“I would say that they’re being reckless. I think they’re being unsafe, because this is what I do. I try to keep people safe, and if they’re going to still (compete as a team), and go to (other courses), then I’m sorry, they’re not listening. They’re not listening to the medical experts saying how to stay safe.
“So, if they’re going to do that, please roll down your windows, wear a mask, don’t carpool, and please make sure you’re being very safe,” Wells said.
“It’s the gathering before and after the sports, when the coaches aren’t looking, and kids are not wearing their mask and not distancing (that’s the problem). It’s the carpooling to get to these sports, these practices, before and after that result in spread, especially with younger kids who don’t always show signs and symptoms and then they can still spread COVID. So, we’re doing our part just like we’re hoping everyone else will as well.”