Winter Sports Continue Despite Rising COVID Cases in Georgia

The GHSA has come together, with Dr. Robin Hines leading as the executive director, to determine the safest way to proceed with winter sports.

Fall sports are coming to a close across Georgia’s high schools. Football is playing its last games in the state championship playoffs; volleyball is all wrapped up with teams like Alpharetta, Buford, and McIntosh coming out on top; and cross country and softball have both also found this year’s champions. With the excitement of the start of the school year and it’s first sports ending, an empty confusion seems to hang in the air as to what to do next. 

Challenges arise in this upcoming season for several reasons. The first problem is the move to heavier indoor arena sports. In the fall, sports like football, softball, and cross country are all played outside, allowing for open air and less hospitable conditions for the coronavirus to survive. Volleyball is indoors, but a non-contact sport. But in the winter, the games move inside for basketball and wrestling. This closed gym environment has reduced air circulation that allows for easier spread of the virus.

The second factor that is troubling to the GHSA is that COVID-19 cases are hitting another spike. On Oct. 1, daily averages of positive cases were just under 1,200, but as of Nov. 19, daily positive cases have doubled with the average nearly hitting 2,400. Keeping this in mind, Hines feels confident in Georgia’s ability to combat the virus and take the appropriate safety measures to ensure audiences and players alike remain healthy. 

“We feel good about where things have gone so far, but as it gets colder and we move indoors, that’s certainly cause for concern, and we’ll take a close look at things,” Hines said. “Everyone’s going to have to measure the risk-reward factor as they go.”

The GHSA has already set a few safety measures in place for the upcoming basketball season. Players will be expected to sit 6 feet apart when on the bench, and referees will have to use something other than a typical whistle to prevent them from accidentally spitting on the players. 

Wrestling is also taking precautions, such as frequently sanitizing mats and using more than one gym per tournament to spread out teams.

But what do health officials think? Do they think that it’s a good idea to play winter sports? How much is one season worth compared to the lives that it might affect due to the pandemic? 

“I think it would be irresponsible to proceed with these sports, especially with spectators who would often be in higher risk groups,” said Dr. Mark Ebell, an epidemiology and biostatistics professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health.

It’ll be up to the individual schools as well as the GHSA to ultimately decide how the winter season proceeds. 

Written by: Lexi Fitzpatrick