‘Everything Is Closed Down.’ The Lack of Youth Sports Is a Crisis. - Dean Alkovic

During these unprecedented times, America has faced a new set of challenges, particularly affecting

high school students. Kids all around America are unable to play the sports that they love and it’s

ruining their chances of getting a scholarship. Not only has this virus impacted millions of lives,

but it has also been shattering the careers of high school athletes. 

  There have been no signs of COVID-19 slowing down and many sports like football, basketball, etc. refuse to open back up. Many kids would use sports to deal with their emotions and maintain a healthy lifestyle. A study shows that nearly "... 30 percent of youth who were playing sports before the pandemic were not likely to go back without a major intervention. They've lost interest". This is a huge concern because not exercising for at least an hour a day can cause many health issues for kids like diabetes. While children are less likely to get sick with the coronavirus, they can still spread the virus to their loved ones and potentially get them sick. In my own experience, I'm very lucky to be able to play football and basketball in the fall but other kids are unable to play this fall which is unfortunate.

                                       Kids playing basketball at a public court during the pandemic

    There has been a concern that communities that are falling behind (more lower class areas)

in keeping their children playing during the pandemic. For my team, I have to have my temperature checked

and complete a waiver before attending practice or a tournament. My team has been doing a very good job

in following the rules because there has been no known cases and everyone is healthy.

    In a nutshell, every kid deserves to have an equal opportunity to play the sport that they love

and since this is very new, leagues are trying their best to let their kids play while keeping everyone safe.

Work cited: Streeter, Kurt. “'Everything Is Closed Down.' The Lack of Youth Sports Is a Crisis.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/sports/covid-youth-sports-canceled.html.