Since the beginning of March this year, the sports world has been all but shut down because of the coronavirus.
From school’s pee-wee sports all the way up to the National Basketball Association, every event that could hold more than 50 people has been heavily frowned upon by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
APSU has canceled all of the athletic department’s endeavors just like the rest of the colleges across the country due to the safety concerns for student-athlete’s health.
All secondary schools across the country have been shut down, meaning the cancellation of spring sporting events for the rest of the year. These closings have also affected middle school and recreational sports to ensure the health and safety of the general population.
Meanwhile, the professional level of the sports world has come a screeching halt. Here are the cancellations or postponements stemming from COVID-19.
- NBA pauses season and is not slated to come back until June or July
- Association of Professional Tennis suspends season until April 20
- FIBA suspends all matches until further notice
- U.S. Soccer cancels matches for all of March and April
- NHL suspends season until further notice
- MLB cancels spring training and pushes start of season 2 weeks
- International Olympic Committee announces the postponement of 2020 Games in Tokyo
These are just some of the many adjustments that the sports world has had to take in order to keep athletes and fans safe.
While many adjustments have been made, some athletes have been still diagnosed with COVID-19. Four players from the Brooklyn Nets have tested positive for the virus, one of which being Kevin Durant. Over 10 NBA players have been diagnosed, as well as multiple soccer players from overseas.
With all of the concerns among the COVID-19 pandemic, there is one recurring concern: the health and safety of players and fans from all over the world.
Together, we can overcome this pandemic, but it starts with all of us making smarter decisions and staying home. Minimizing the spread of germs will ultimately minimize the spread of this virus.
So, if it helps the cause of any sports fan, here is an equation for getting sports back as soon as possible: staying at home = the return of sports.
