Jensen is back from a lengthy break. He is only going to school two days a week as WASD is using a hybrid. My eleven-year-old son is doing the best he can. He is wearing his mask. My sixth grader was asked to do a short writing assignment the very first day. I don’t want to get in trouble for paraphrasing so here it is word for word.

“My first day of school was kinda awkward. It was good to see my teachers, but we didn’t leave the classroom. We even had to eat lunch here too. No recesses. That made me mad because I wanted to hang out with my friends. Everyone has to stay six feet apart and wear our masks. I have a great teacher and I am hoping for a better year. But this is why my first day was awkward.”

Again. I would like to echo that I have nothing but love for our local school districts. These are unprecedented times, and they are forced to make many tough decisions. I continue to pray for the administrations and boards. There are surely no right or wrong answers, and I feel terrible for these kids.

Personally, I have been going back and forth on several fronts. I always look at both sides, but mainly focus on the big picture. Sports are a huge and important part of my life, and I continue to struggle with this issue. We have all had to make many sacrifices during this pandemic. There has been much debate and conversation in the past few weeks. Officials have focused a great deal of time on safely returning to our sporting fields. Allowing spectators and fans has now joined the conversation. The plot thickens. More politics.

Governor Tom Wolf modified his guidelines to allow some spectators at high school sporting events. The very same day, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that would put the decision in the hands of local school districts. While it was a step toward parents being allowed into venues to watch high school and junior high sporting events, Wolf maintained his previously set limits of 250 people for outdoor gatherings and 25 people for indoor gatherings. The 250-person limit includes both participating teams, officials, coaches, stadium workers, bands, and cheerleaders. The same holds true on indoor events.

Hours after Wolf’s decry, Rep. Mike Reese introduced House Bill 2787 onto the House floor for a vote. Reese’s bill allows individual school districts to “develop safety protocols for permitting visitors and spectators to attend sports and in-person extracurricular activities.” The bill also calls for school districts to determine limits on the gatherings for both indoor and outdoor extracurricular activities “to ensure social distancing.” The bill passed by a vote of 155-47, and will be moved to the Senate for a vote. Area representatives Garth Everett and Jeff Wheeland voted yes. Good luck enforcing these guidelines folks.

Look I get the fact that sports are an integral part of the entire educational experience but why has there been so much emphasis? Major colleges and universities are moving to online learning, and we seem to be only fixated on local sports. I don’t get it. Seriously, check the headlines and read the feeds. I might lose a few friends with the next question. But how can we justify this right now when our kids are not in school full-time? I am a huge sports guy too. Seven hours in the classroom. Lunch at their desks. One fifteen-minute break. Masks required at all times. No outside recess. It’s only safe to send our kids to school two days per. BUT WE STILL QUESTION WHY WE AREN’T ALLOWED TO WATCH A FOOTBALL GAME?