There is definitely no one who is right or wrong in this situation, but it does kind of tell you about how life really works.
I am referring to the fact that a number of football players in our area who played at public schools have recently transferred and are now on the roster of some of our private schools in the area.
When the public schools in Washington County announced in early August that they would not play football this year because of the coronavirus, it was sort of obvious that this would happen.
I will not mention any of these players by name in this column because I do not think it is fair to them, but it is certainly no secret. You can read the stories in the sports section each edition and find out who they are.
These players have a talent and a passion for football. Who can really blame them for transferring in order to play? I certainly respect the decision made by them and their parents.
Furthermore, many of these private schools are also allowing more in-class learning than their public school counterparts.
I wonder when the public school boards made the decision to not play football, if they saw this coming.
If a bunch of public school football players are now playing football at private schools, how much of difference has their decision really made to stop the virus?
In their defense, these boards certainly protected themselves from any potential liability, and there are still a lot fewer athletes competing this fall than would have been.
Again, this is how life really works and, perhaps, that is a good thing. If someone has a passion for something — be it football, baseball or badminton — they should have the freedom to pursue that passion if they, and their parents, understand the risks involved.
If an entity won’t let them pursue their passion, they should find another place that will let them.
In the last few weeks, I have sort of come to the opinion that we all must get on with our lives. Playing sports is certainly a way for our youngsters to get on with their lives. However, I am not 100 percent certain that I am right, and I respect anyone who thinks otherwise.
Like I say, I am not here to cast blame on anyone. It is certainly a complicated issue that even medical doctors can not all agree on.
But, I do think it is a good thing that some families in our community had the freedom to make their own decisions about playing a sport that their children love.
David W. Healy is the sports editor of the Delta Democrat-Times. He can be reached at dhealy@ddtonline.com.
