wabashalwaysfights

This. This right here. Apparently I may be in the minority on the whole "let's move to the spring," but I'm telling you, medium to long term I just don't think it will be worth it. I want kids to play, no doubt, but I think we're going to see a lot of burn out in places that go with a spring option.

It COULD be an advantage for SOME. I know we certainly have some students who have enough self-discipline to handle it, but not near enough for a virtual option to be successful in the long term in the way you describe. I have been working on my MA in my subject are so that I can continue to teach my Dual Credit course. I take one course per semester (fall, spring, and summer) through a ISU's distance program. It is certainly a blessing, the virtual nature of the class, because otherwise pursuing this degree would not be possible. That said, I have the self-discipline as an adult to make it work, I do not think the same would be the case for me when I was 17. I see where you are coming from and what you suggest works well on paper, but the reality is much different I fear...

Pound the over...

I'm not exactly sure what this is supposed to mean. I asked a legitimate question about the situation many families find themselves having to deal with in the face of a potential start of the school year with virtual education. The situation for many families I spoke of is vastly different now than it was in the spring. Nearly all employment other than essential workers was put on hold for weeks at a time last spring, I'm specifically speaking to a number of factories in the area. Those same employers are no longer shut down now. I also would, unfortunately, defer to the below... Well said Coach. Even if a football season is delayed or, unfortunately, not in the cards, being physically in school removes these kids from those situations for at least 8 hours out of the day. It is sad, but the reality.

And again, I agree with you, as I've said no less than twice but I'll pass your advice... I'm sure it will be most helpful...

Again, agreed but two things: first, how idealistic of you to think that all take the measure of individual responsibility they should (not all do, sadly). Secondly, you say they should "do the same thing they do for childcare when school is not in session," and the reality is, at least in some cases that this simply is not possible. I know a lot of parents who utilize summer park programs, older student relatives (high school age cousins, for example), and older family members to help pick with childcare in the summer months when school is not in session. These are not people who view the school system as a "babysitter," but the fact is that they rely in the scheduling of their work on their child being at school during the regular school day and in the regular school year. Summer park programs will not be in session (and many are ending early in my area to allow for "self-quarantine" prior to the school year) and if proper "social distancing" is to be followed, older school age family or elderly family members would not be tenable either.

Agreed, but the reality is that schools need to take that into consideration when making their decisions. We can't live with blinders to this issue on...

I don't claim to know this, but my guess would be that he was privately tutored before Covid. Again, I'm probably am wrong, but that would be my educated guess. Question to those of you who feel that we should aim for all, or even partial, virtual learning; what about students whose parents (either a single parent or both parents) are working and childcare is an issue? I don't know that this question has been asked on this thread, it's hard to keep track.

I am not suggesting that at all. I merely suggest that, whether the cliche is true or not, people often have a hard time believing what they do not personally see. Data is great, science is wonderful, but after a while, if you are not personally effected by something the the data and science claims is dangerous, that data and science simply becomes numbers on a piece of paper. It begins to lack meaning.

So are you suggesting that we completely ignore our personal experience?

I was just reading @Coach Nowlin's comments on bringing politics into every discussion on this board so in light of that,cI will disregard your second line of questioning. Not trying to dodge, just following @Coach Nowlin's lead on this one, it is likely more productive in the long run. To your first line of questioning, I don't know that I would go so far as to suggest that Americans "have lost our way on caring about others." Europeans and Americans are fundamentally different on a number of levels, so in many ways I think when you attempt to compare the two on any level you're comparing applies to oranges.

I disagree. Unfortunately, whether any of us like it or not, oftentimes that is the human condition: "malady x" has not effected me so I disregard it. Substitute whatever you want for "malady x," and there could literally be hundreds of possibilities. An unfortunate example that comes to mind is driving under the influence. I saw a speaker at a school convocation once who spoke to this. He talked about how he knew it was dangerous to get behind the wheel while under the influence, but he had done it so many times and no one ever got hurt, so why should this time be any different? Unfortunately, he was involved in a wreck that claimed a young women's life and he paid the price (a hefty jail sentence plus the guilt that comes with that). Now he works to educate people about the dangers of driving under the influence, but does that mean that people will stop the practice? Statistics tell us far from from it. We can disagree about the nature of this virus, how dangerous it is or isn't, but the fact is my friend that whether an individual knows someone who has been effected by this or has been effected by it personally does indeed matter.

While I sympathize for those who have been effected, this line of reasoning works both ways. You know at least two people who have passed, potentially more who have tested positive: I personally do not know a single person who has even had a confirmed case of this virus, let alone passed from it. That includes social media. That can obviously change, and I hope it doesn't obviously, but unfortunately unless/until it does that lack of personal connection, if you will, makes it really hard to completely understand this level of reaction. And yes, I watch the news, depressing as it is, but what qualifies as "concern worth" seems to change so fast that without some personal connection, which you appear to have, it's really, really hard to understand some days.

This. This right here...

Timing is everything...

Low hanging fruit...

This is correct and also another reason that I'm glad that all indications are that Indiana won't be pushing football to the spring. Ultimately I'm guessing that having student-athletes, coaches, etc. sign waiver forms is going to be a no brainer, if it isn't already, and will likely be even more widespread by the end of the month.

Correct. Here is a more in depth look at ICU and ventilator capacities (one, "Today," is current metrics, the other is by day over time), which are also telling. It would seem that the state of Indiana is not currently, nor was it ever really close, to a shortage on either ventilators or ICU beds. Of course that can change, I suppose...

So waivers are to be requested on behalf of an entire school and not individual athletes? I wonder what the conditions for granting that waiver would be?

Yep. Digging around on some of the data from that site can be all at once fascinating and depressing.

This? Pulled from https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/ at about 7am on 7/18/2020. Seems as though we are have just gone through a month long uptick like what we saw early on. If that is the case, the next few month should see another large scale drop, but that takes time.

I think it depends on what sites you're talking about. My understanding is that most of the walk-in test sites utilize nasal swab tests, which if I understand what I have read, only tests for the current presence of the virus in the individual tested. An anti-body test, again it is my understanding, requires a blood draw, which I would guess, is only being done for some specific reason. It certainly does not take away from the fact that this is incredibly frustrating...

"Boys of Fall," but yes, it on it's own is pretty awesome. Unfortunately it got played waaaay too much, so personally I'm a bit averse to it now. What has always struck me, and Smith refers to this in his piece, are the little things you remember or things that take you back. For me it's every time I hear "Crazy Train." That was part of our pregame routine: come in from warm-ups, Lord's Prayer, "Crazy Train," Coach Ryker talk, hit the field. Home and away, didn't matter, we brought a stereo, typically one better than our opponents...😉

I was referring to his specific hospital, but thank you nonetheless.

Hey, @bombkicker, I can't remember what thread you had posted this on (there are about 3 or 4 that are really pretty similar) but I find myself wondering if you all are seeing an uptick in hospitalizations over the past few days?