Four Northeast Texas schools shut down workouts,

We are less than two weeks into the UIL allowing summer workouts for schools, bringing student-athletes back on campus for face-toface training with coaches for the first time since mid-March when COVID-19 halted all extracurricular activities.

I went to an American Legion baseball game Tuesday evening, and it was magnificent to see the players on the field, throwing, running, pitching, hitting and enjoying the summer weather, as kids should be doing.

The stands were filling up, as well, and it had all the makings of a fun, entertaining evening of baseball.

Then Wednesday I got news that four schools in Northeast Texas have suspended their workouts, either entirely or just for a specific group, because of positive tests for COVID-19.

And I don’t mean schools near the Metroplex – schools our teams play either in district or playoffs.

Marshall, Longview Spring Hill, Van and Price Carlisle have halted summer workouts in some form or fashion, basically 10 days into being allowed to reopen for said workouts.

Marshall ISD has suspended all workouts until June 22 after a positive test for a district employee.

Spring Hill had a female athlete test positive and suspended all female summer workouts until June 30.

Carlisle ISD halted the boys training until further notice, as did Van Independent School District, citing that the boys and girls work out at different locations.

It was a sad day when schools had to close athletic facilities and no contact was allowed between coaches and their players. I can only imagine it would be that

much worse to have it back, briefly, and then have to go through another stoppage.

My worry becomes, what’s next? What school will be next to have to halt workouts?

We want this to be over. We want the sunshine and summer breeze to carry it away, so we can return to normal. But we’re not there yet.

While all are obviously not still active, we have had 1,766 confirmed cases in our area. There have been 278 in Bowie and Miller County combined.

There are things we, as individuals, can control and things we can’t.

Staying true to COVID19 protocols, maintaining social distancing, etc. are among the things we can control.

We’ve already seen an entire spring of high school sports wiped out because of this virus. Can we all agree we do not want to see another game postponed or canceled because of it?