Children are the least affected by the coronavirus, but they may be the most affected by governments’ responses to the virus.
Some are finally speaking up.
In Michigan, thousands of student-athletes decided to protest these restrictions after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told high school students: Still no basketball, no hockey, no winter sports, or any extracurriculars until I say so.
More than 2,000 students rallied outside the Michigan Capitol building this week, arguing that it makes no sense to keep them at home when they are not a risk to others.
“It’s very important to me,” Ethan Dunn, a junior basketball player, told the Lansing State Journal. “It’s very painful for myself and everyone else, I’m sure — especially the seniors to have their season taken away like this and not have the opportunity. Some use it as a coping mechanism, others want to play at the collegiate level, and others might not get a chance again to play this sport. It’s very important to me to come out here and show support.”
Some grown-ups agree, including Michigan High School Athletic Association Director Mark Uyl, who has been lobbying the state to reopen sports so his student-athletes can compete. There is no reason winter sports can’t proceed safely, he argued, pointing to several border states, such as Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin, that have managed to reopen their gyms without a significant spread of the virus.
Whitmer doesn’t give a whit for the wishes, arguments, or needs of the players, coaches, or parents. When asked about a date that student-athletes could expect to resume their competitions, Whitmer dodged the question and pointed to a growing number of COVID-19 variant cases in Michigan, urging residents not to let their guard down.
What she didn’t provide was evidence that contact sports spread the coronavirus. In fact, a University of Wisconsin-Madison study last October found that out of the 209 student-athletes who contracted the coronavirus, only one case could be attributed to participation in sports.
Meanwhile, student-athletes are struggling. Many would like to compete at the collegiate level but are missing out on crucial opportunities to train, compete, and attract college scouts that can help place them in the right school. And many more are being denied the social benefits that sports provide — benefits that affect every part of a student’s life.
“Sports are a lot bigger than just playing,” Brendan Young, a senior basketball player, said. “It’s what we all grew up playing, and we have all these friendships that we’ve built through sports and especially being my senior year, I want one last chance to play with my friends and the guys I’ve been growing up with my whole life. I’m sure all these kids feel the same way.”
