Helen Roth

Though in-person classes resumed this semester, sports programs were noticeably absent from the student experience. However, with the necessary precautions, non-contact sports should be allowed to take place.

Though in-person classes resumed this semester, sports programs were noticeably absent from the student experience.

An email was sent out to high school students from the administration stating that there were not going to be any in-person  athletics taking place in the fall season due to COVID-19 safety concerns. The email detailed how the prospect of sports resuming would increase the number of contacts students have during the day.

Nevertheless, non-contact sports such as track and field, cross country and swimming should still be allowed as after school athletics. Coaches could split students into groups of six so as not to not infringe on the U.K. guidelines. Since these are non-contact sports, athletes would still abide by social distancing guidelines while engaging in necessary physical activity.   

According to an article on the Newport Academy’s website, a study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health where 850 students from 10 schools were surveyed on their participation in sports. After three years, the students were asked to rank their mental wellbeing. 

The study found that playing school sports is strongly linked to lower stress levels, a decrease in depression symptoms, and better self-rated mental health during their adolescent years due to the endorphins released in the brain when exercising.

In sports, students have the opportunity to take a break from schoolwork and participate in an activity that allows them to interact in a different environment. This helps them build successful skills such as teamwork and leadership which greatly benefit students both inside and outside of school, and also give students a chance to enjoy themselves.

However, there are still safety concerns as well as limitations which the U.K. government has set. Although these concerns state that airborne transmission is possible in close proximity sports, this can be combated by the use of social distancing.

In addition, there is no guideline that the U.K. government imposed that strictly impedes students from participating in after-school sports. 

The government also said regarding the limitations it set for sports:  “The return of team sport is an exciting moment for the millions of people who use this activity as their exercise of choice and gain the multiple physical, mental and social benefits of playing.that although the risks of playing sports cannot be completely eradicated, these risks can be severely reduced with suitable precautions.” 

If we maintain the correct precautions while still participating in sports, then we will be able to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 during these activities while also gaining the beneficial aspects of exercise. By establishing a six-person rule in school athletics, grade levels can be more thoroughly separated in those six person groups so that if a person does test positive for COVID -19, their contacts can be more easily traced to their same grade level, allowing for fewer student interactions.

Non-contact after-school sports should still take place with the needed precautions and would greatly benefit students by reducing their stress levels, especially in these unstable times.