Even though many schools have been closed due to the pandemic, Westminster have outdone themselves once again. The school has been open and in-person ever since the start of the new school year. Westminster sports are starting up again, and many people have been divided if they will participate this year. Basketball seasons have ended, and the seasons have mostly been a success. Every grade has had a great season besides the 9th-grade basketball team; they got shut down because of an outbreak. 

 I believe that students should be just fine playing sports right now if they listen to the rules and follow them. Of course, playing basketball or any sports could be a very big risk this season. People could catch COVID, because most people don’t wear masks during games, but at the same time, this season will be one of the most important seasons for 8th graders. They must get ready for high school sports, and many of them want to make JV or even Varsity next year.

I myself played basketball season for Westminster during this crazy year, and I believe that the athletic department took very good precautions. The season went very smoothly, and we did not have a single COVID case. Do you think that sports are worth the risk? Well, I went around asking students and teachers what they thought about playing sports, and their thoughts. Jack Schwartz, whose wrestling season got canceled because of a COVID case, said “Even though my wrestling season got shut down, I would do it all over again. I love the game, and it’s one of the best ways to relieve stress.” 

Coach Mesloh, the head coach of the 7th-grade baseball team, said “Playing sports right now is fine and doable, but playing sports in the spring should be very good because most sports will be outside like baseball and soccer.” Mesloh believes that spring sports should be good to go with almost no problems. I one-hundred percent agree with him and believe that we should be able to successfully play sports in the spring.

Even though my family knew that this season could lead to catching COVID, we still believed that the season was worth the risk. We were able to dodge COVID left and right and never caught it. I believe some of the main reasons that my family felt safe to play sports was because we had to wear masks during practice and the fact that the school was testing everyone every Monday. Personally, I think that playing sports during this chaotic season was worth the risks.