I would have preferred to tell you about the Stephen Curry record. From Jeff Petry’s release. Golf, handball, horseback riding, pole vault. But hey, a gust is sweeping through North American sport.
What gust?
COVID.
On Tuesday alone, 18 National Hockey League players and 36 National Football League players had to go into self-isolation. Morgan Frost of the Philadelphia Flyers and Tucker Poolman of the Vancouver Canucks had to leave their team in the middle of a game. Nice brouillamini.
The Calgary Flames are at a standstill. The Carolina Hurricanes, the Chicago Bulls and the Erie Otters too. Nova Scotia bans hockey tournaments. New Brunswick is going even further: no more organized sports for all children under 12 years old. For older children, only training is authorized (QMJHL clubs have an exemption).
It’s discouraging.
Demoralizing.
Demotivating.
I have my helmet full. Truly. This backlash is all the more difficult to take as it strikes after a long lull, made possible by vaccination.
What will be its impact here? In Quebec, I was told on Tuesday that there is no question of reducing the maximum capacity in indoor stadiums “for the moment”. It can change quickly. Other provinces and several regions of Europe have already been there.
What concerns me more is the fate of sports activities for our young people. For the moment, this is the status quo. Except that, realistically, if we rely on the management of the first waves, we suspect that Public Health will want to discuss it with the government. Sooner rather than later.
In the very short term, I doubt that stopping sports activities will have a significant impact. It is that from Sunday, almost all the school and civil leagues in Quebec fall on break for three weeks. Also, until now, children’s sport has not been a major source of contamination in Quebec. Of the 274 active outbreaks on the Island of Montreal, only five are linked to a team sport with frequent contact. For a grand total of 21 people infected. This is the highest total for several weeks. In Quebec ? Sadly, public data on sport is drowned in a big picture, which also includes private gatherings and religious activities. Note, however, that only 6% of active outbreaks are filed in this catch-all drawer.
I concede that there may be a short term gain. Long-term ? It’s the contrary. It causes several problems.
Childhood and adolescence are critical times for integrating physical activity into a daily routine. However, what has been observed since the start of the pandemic, in states where sport has been put on hiatus?
- A significant drop in registrations in almost all Quebec sports federations. Often more than 20%.
- A massive drop in the number of Canadian adolescents considered “active”. According to Statistics Canada, between 2018 and 2020, the proportion of “active” young people aged 12 to 17 increased from 51% to 37%;
- A lack of interest in sports. According to a study carried out in Ontario by the MLSE group, 30% of girls and young women say they are less interested in playing sports than before the pandemic.
I would point out that before the pandemic, only one in three young Quebecers was considered “active”. By far the worst record in Canada. It certainly hasn’t improved since.
Nature abhors a vacuum, if young people are not in the gymnasium or arena, they will be elsewhere. Probably with other young people – and less supervision.
I don’t underestimate Delta, which has claimed too many lives. Even less Omicron, a much more contagious variant, which better escapes vaccination coverage.
If, in a few weeks, emergencies and intensive care units overflow, to the point that the government has to close schools, sport will suffer. The impossible no one is bound.
But for the moment, it is still possible to maintain activities, while reducing the risk of contagion. Besides, everything is still allowed.
The past 20 months have taught us that individual sports – figure skating, gymnastics, tennis, diving, athletics – are not the main vectors of contagion. The same goes for outdoor sports, such as downhill skiing and cross-country skiing. Unless Omicron has a very bad surprise in store for us, banning these sports should be a last resort.
For team sports, expect it to be more complicated. Especially for hockey, which the virus is particularly fond of.
The good news ? The new protocols have resisted the Delta variant. Among other things, because all federated hockey players over 12 are vaccinated. The vaccination of the youngest is also underway.
The bad news? Few players have received their third dose, which allows them to face Omicron more effectively. It is not known when this booster dose will be available for all age groups.
Until then, the measures already in place should be strengthened. No, not all coaches wear the mask behind the bench. No, not all players wear the mask in the locker room. No, spectators do not respect all health rules. At 300 cases per day, that was not a problem. At 2300, yes.
Drinking from the same gourd, is it a good idea? No.
Is it a good idea to move into the locker room an hour before the game? No.
Have a beer with the boys after the game in a 50 square meter room without ventilation, is that a good idea? No more. A little turn of the screw in the protocols will not harm anyone.
Then, should the parties be canceled? Not yet. Games are a great source of motivation for young people – especially teenagers. Before banning dating, there are steps to consider. We could use rapid tests. Limit travel between regions. Redo the schedule, to reduce the number of opponents. Not forced to face 15 different teams by the end of the season. Three or four is just as okay.
I repeat: to the impossible, no one is bound. If there is an explosion in the number of hospitalizations and deaths, and essential services are affected, activating the emergency brake will be necessary. But as long as it is possible, make the maximum effort to limit the impact on young people. For tens of thousands of them, organized sport is a source of motivation at school. It is the heart of their life. It is an essential service.