No sports is a reminder why we love them

A world without sports. As odd as that sounds, it’s a reality that we are all facing.

A world without sports.

As odd as that sounds, it’s a reality that we are all facing.

The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, has caused the postponement or cancellation of high school, college and professional sports’ regular-season games and postseason tournaments across the world.

At the area high school level, the Ohio High School Athletic Association has indefinitely postponed winter tournaments and spring sports seasons. OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass also ordered a mandatory nocontact period for players and coaches that will last through April 6.

Snodgrass announced March 19 at a news conference the fate of the winter tournaments will be known within the next 24 to 48 hours. This leaves a sliver of hope for winter athletes, however, it isn’t exactly promising news.

In the college ranks, we’ve seen the cancellation of men’s and women’s winter sports postseason tournaments and numerous spring sports seasons have been canceled. The biggest news coming out of the college ranks was the cancellation of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. That meant there would be no March Madness and no brackets to fill out.

Professional sports are also at a stand still. The NBA suspended its season March 11 after the Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tested positive. MLB canceled the rest of spring training and pushed back the start of its season by eight weeks in response to the virus. The PGA and LPGA also suspended play, as did NASCAR, among others.

This is something that none of us have experienced before. For sports fans, things as attending sporting events or watching them on TV aren’t happening right now.

It’s been more than a week since the majority of sports leagues halted play and it still doesn’t feel real.

Usually sports provide a distraction for anyone who wants an escape. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case this time.

Let me be clear in adding that I believe halting play on all levels was the right move. The coronavirus is not something that should be taken lightly.

With that being said, I feel bad for those studentathletes, especially seniors, in high school and college whose seasons were cut short. It’s an unfortunate situation and it’s saddens me because I know how hard studentathletes work and how much it means to them to play alongside their teammates.

This all adds to my point of how important sports are to some people and how much joy they bring to people’s lives, including mine. At the end of the day, sports aren’t

everything, but they mean so much to so many people.

People bond over sports in countless ways and sports bring people together.

Families and friends often get together to watch games on TV or head to a stadium or arena to cheer on their favorite team.

Teammates and friends gather together at a practice or workout to prepare for an upcoming game.

Sports are often the first thing a lot of people talk about when they get to work, school or meet up with friends. Common phrases such as “Did you see that game last night?” or “Did you see that play?” are often asked by many.

A lack of sports in our lives makes us appreciate them that much more. I’m not saying people didn’t appreciate sports before they were temporarily shut down. I’m saying this hiatus might give us all a renewed appreciation for them.

This situation has helped remind me that we shouldn’t take sports for granted. They mean a lot to us.