December Sports

[mae0111]

Both kids had their first regular season basketball games today.  Unfortunately they were at the same time in 2 different locations 90 minutes apart, so DH and I had to divide and conquer.  

DD1's team won their game 33-10.  Her coach pulled them waaaay back in the second half, requiring 4 passes before shooting, and then finally telling them no more shooting with 5 minutes left.  DD1 was literally the only kid on the team that didn't score, which was a bummer - just nothing fell in for her.  But she had some great steals and some good assists.  The coach used the time to get the kids used to passing and to stop playing selfishly.  It seemed to work out.  She has another game tomorrow.

DH took DD2 to her game, and he said it was a hot mess.  Our town doesn't start basketball until 2nd grade, and no one could play last year - so DD2, as a 3rd grader, is really playing like a 2nd grader.  No one knew the rules, DH said DD2 didn't get into the key at all.  No one passed. It's all to be expected.  Hopefully they end the season just a little better than they started it.  That's always the goal...

[twinmomma]

Second swim meet is this weekend, but the girls are skipping it. I'm really disappointed. They're with exH and he made plans for that day, even though he knew the swim meet was scheduled. After the dramatics at the first one, I really wanted them to try this second one out and feel more confident about it.

[186momx]

twinmomma, That makes me so mad that he scheduled something when he knew they already had something. DD has a friend whose dad is like that with gymnastics. She is an 8th grader so has a little more control and has basically started coordinating rides on dad weeks to make sure she can get to practice and to meets if necessary.

Masks are still required for all indoor activities still here.

DD found out last night her private instructor is getting her competitive coaching certificate! We have all our fingers and toes crossed that she may be getting to start coaching DD's level. Coach T is being a bitch and caused both level 3 girls to cry on Friday enough that DD's old level 3 coach (she is coaching optional level know) butted in to stick up for them.

[waverly]

Well, I was right from my "Monday" post. Not a mask in sight at basketball practice. Sigh. I know it would have been hard to play in one, but now we are all going to get influenza and Covid.

We are all vaccinated, so I guess we just go about life now. I can't lock down my children away from their childhoods forever/ Covid has been going on for 21 months now. They are lower risk and vaccinated. Hopefully the antivirals will be approved for under 18 soon.

[mae0111]

waverly, I will say that, while masks are required, many of the kids just aren't wearing them properly when in the middle of a game. They're falling below noses, they're getting ripped off when going for rebounds, coaches are pulling them off to yell at/to the players. This is DD1's 2nd season playing "masked" basketball, and she's not had to quarantine once. Any exposures from other teams were happening on the school bus, or from a sibling, etc.

I don't know if that makes you feel any better, but I agree with you - we can't just keep life on pause. I'm kind of taking the same precautions that we always do at this time of year - wash hands a ton, try to keep your distance a bit, if you're sharing markers or crayons at school, use the spray sanitizer that I send in, etc. We are also low risks, and I'm even more worried about someone coming down with a raging bout of norovirus right before Christmas than COVID at this point.

[waverly]

mae0111 , Oh yeah norovirus is definitely going around too. My co-workers daughter currently has it, and co-worker is supposed to get surgery tomorrow. Then, my friend locally has it, but luckily/ unluckily I don't see her much, so I haven't seen her to get it. But definitely going around. One of my internet friends (I did meet in person once) had it for Thanksgiving, so that was fun for her - not.

This isn't travel basketball, so no bus exposure luckily.  ETA- And DS loves it so much, I can't destroy his mental health for this.  We've been lucky to survive with mental health intact, although I do see signs of social skills being delayed and a few academic gaps.  

[186momx]

DD gets to compete next season!

Head coach called and left me a message saying to please call to talk about DD's progress. DD was devastated and didn't want me to call back because she knew that they were going to say she wasn't making progress. Super huge surprise and DD was speechless afterwards.

[mae0111]

I finally got to watch DD2 play basketball for the first time in 2 years!! And it was great! 3rd graders are always selfish players, but DD2 seems to have an ability to see what’s happening and attempt to make a play. The execution isn’t there of course. But she’s not just blindly dribbling into a corner (which is expected at this age).

DD1 player her old team last night. She’s just so far behind her teammates. I pulled her from an awesome program for social reasons and I put her in one that was subpar at best. She lost so much time where she could have been developing her skills. She will never be an amazing athlete, but she could develop into a solid player. Her coach is amazing and patient. He’s trying so hard. But she cant see the plays or the floor. I hope she catches up. I think she would enjoy playing at the high school level when the time comes, but it won’t happen if she can’t catch up.

[sdlaura]

DD’s rec soccer team lost almost every game all season - I think they may have won one and tied one, but that was it. A lot of the parents didn’t want to play in the end of season tournament because it was so not fun to lose all the time. But then the girls won both tournament games last weekend (without DD because we were out of town), and then they won both games this weekend to capture the trophy. It was so strange but they seemed to peak at the right time. DD played goalie and saved the other team’s penalty kick to win one game, so that was exciting.

Today she had tryouts for the spring softball select team and did really well. Then went and played a basketball double header. Won the first game against a tough team but lost the second - her basketball team’s first loss. So it was a good sports weekend and now just one more softball tryout and one more basketball game next Sunday and we’re done for 2021.

[mae0111]

Our town canceled rec basketball until January due to rising COVID cases. So DD2 won’t play until January (best case). I have a feeling they just won’t start it back up at all.

But the kept DD1’s travel league going, and she played tonight. The other team was very inexperienced, so the coach had the team work on passing, running plays, and jump shots. He had DD1 playing point guard which is NOT her spot. She held her own and played some great defense. She threw up some great shots and had some really good passes.

The coach sent DH and me a text after the game saying how well she did. She knew she was slow, but he just told her to keep trying her best. He’s so good at building her confidence. She really lucked out.

[twinmomma]

We had another swim meet yesterday. They got to compete in their first relay! DD1 did the breast stroke leg and looked really good. For their individual freestyle races, they were in the same heat and somehow ended up with exactly the same time. Hit the wall at the exact same moment. It was wild and very weird identical twin vibes.

[waverly]

Oh man I hope they don’t cancel basketball here, and he missed last practice due to Cub Scouts.

DD keeps trying to get out of going to gymnastics. I get it’s a lot of work and we will probably stop in February since I won’t fight her on it. I just wanted her to get some basic skills since she felt behind other girls and was throwing fits about it.

She did this with dance too (not Poms), she doesn’t want to go but once she is there she has fun. She is not like this with soccer.

I’m guessing that cheerleading would be too much for her? That was the alternative since the Poms coach quit. This was at a church Rec league, and the coach accepted a job elsewhere.

[erbear]

unpopular opinion: I think indoor sports need to go for a little while. Gathering indoors, breathing hard on others seems like a bad idea with this variant. Kids don't mask that well when they are playing sports. I would not let my kids do this right now (and I think our school is going to press pause on sports when we return until numbers come down).

[waverly]

I don’t disagree totally erbear. The Northeast has kind of shut down. We aren’t there yet, but most likely will be. But this pandemic is ruining my kids mental health also. Such a hard thing to walk the line between the two. I guess if we shut down at least he got to do some practices.

[madringal]

Dec 19, 2021 13:07:13 GMT -5 erbear said:

unpopular opinion: I think indoor sports need to go for a little while. Gathering indoors, breathing hard on others seems like a bad idea with this variant. Kids don't mask that well when they are playing sports. I would not let my kids do this right now (and I think our school is going to press pause on sports when we return until numbers come down).

This swim mom strongly disagrees. there are ways to do it safely. USA Swimming has strong protocols and we feel it is safe for our kids. Also keep in mind that during actual competition, 99% of all exhaling takes place into the water. On deck, they are masked.

We we be crushed if swim went away right now.  My kids need the normalcy it brings.

[erbear]

Dec 19, 2021 13:35:59 GMT -5 madringal said:

Dec 19, 2021 13:07:13 GMT -5 erbear said:

unpopular opinion: I think indoor sports need to go for a little while. Gathering indoors, breathing hard on others seems like a bad idea with this variant. Kids don't mask that well when they are playing sports. I would not let my kids do this right now (and I think our school is going to press pause on sports when we return until numbers come down).

This swim mom strongly disagrees. there are ways to do it safely. USA Swimming has strong protocols and we feel it is safe for our kids. Also keep in mind that during actual competition, 99% of all exhaling takes place into the water. On deck, they are masked.

We we be crushed if swim went away right now.  My kids need the normalcy it brings.

I feel differently about swimming (and some other sports that are more solo). I went to a wrestling match at my school and it made me so anxious I had to leave.

[mae0111]

Dec 19, 2021 13:07:13 GMT -5 erbear said:

unpopular opinion: I think indoor sports need to go for a little while. Gathering indoors, breathing hard on others seems like a bad idea with this variant. Kids don't mask that well when they are playing sports. I would not let my kids do this right now (and I think our school is going to press pause on sports when we return until numbers come down).

I disagree. Organized sports are important to the mental health is so many kids. My kids were able to play sports safely all last year. We had a total of ONE exposure, that turned out to be a false positive on a rapid test. The kids were masked, basketball players sanitized before and after being in the game.

Kids have suffered so much. I’m really disappointed about basketball (though I completely understand). But I know that soccer is around the corner for DD2, DD1 will likely be able to continue basketball even if rec shuts down (they played all last year). And the we’re considering a spring basketball league.

I do believe everyone will get this eventually. We just need to hope that the vaccine does its job and keeps everyone out of the hospital.

[erbear]

I also think there is a return to somewhat normal (we’ve been seeing it for months) but omicron is a game changer. I’m not super worried about my kids getting very sick, but I am worried that it’s vaccine resistant and will cause more mutations not to get it under control. Indoor sports in a massive Covid surge are an unnecessary risk for me. My kids are still seeing friends and playing sports (mostly outside) and masking indoors but I am not comfortable with playing other teams that we don’t know the vaccine status or caution level of. I teach middle school. I know what this pandemic is doing to kids. But we are prolonging it by continuing to allow Covid to spread freely, and this is ultimately going to be worse for kids.

Like I said, I know it’s an unpopular opinion.

[twinmomma]

I understand your concern erbear. But Swim is the only sport we do and the only activity my kids have other than school. If it goes away, they would be devastated. Not to mention how negatively it would impact my ADHD kid - it's become a major energy release and OT type activity for her and has had a major positive impact on her overall behavior.

Swim has way stricter rules than school to prevent covid spread at this point. If our state gave a damn about controlling COVID at all, I wouldn't have to worry about swim shutting down so others can have their mask free, vaccine free freedom.

[erbear]

Dec 19, 2021 20:52:22 GMT -5 twinmomma said:

I understand your concern erbear. But Swim is the only sport we do and the only activity my kids have other than school. If it goes away, they would be devastated. Not to mention how negatively it would impact my ADHD kid - it's become a major energy release and OT type activity for her and has had a major positive impact on her overall behavior.

Swim has way stricter rules than school to prevent covid spread at this point. If our state gave a damn about controlling COVID at all, I wouldn't have to worry about swim shutting down so others can have their mask free, vaccine free freedom.

Yeah, I said this above but swim feels pretty different to me. But it’s an exception.

[mae0111]

twinmomma - such a good point about your DD with ADHD.

DD1 has ADHD and NVLD. Basketball is SO IMPORTANT right now. Her confidence is way up because her coach is amazing. She gets a physical outlet and mental stimulation beyond the classroom. She’s learning strategy and running plays. She struggles socially and sports has helped her tremendously with that. Things are just so much worse when she doesn’t have an extra outlet.

[mommyatty]

I have such mixed feelings about this. I think most things can be done safely. But many things aren’t being done using easy, common sense measures, which makes me crazy. Kids are not great at wearing masks most of the time, and I just don’t see how they can when they’re playing most sports. And mental health doesn’t matter if your child is dead, and they won’t be playing sports if they get long Covid. They’ll be lucky if they can get through a school day.

But I’m also at the point where I think the virus is going from pandemic to endemic for the vaccinated population. And I’m kind of at the point where the unvaccinated should just hurry up and die already. I just wish they’d do it without using up hospital resources. If you don’t trust modern medicine, stand by your convictions and die at home with your horse dewormer. Since my kids are vaccinated, and I trust the vaccines, I assume they’ll get a bad cold when (and I do mean when, not if, at this point) they get Covid. I can’t worry anymore about kids whose parents won’t protect them.

[erbear]

I don’t want unvaccinated kids to die, but I do think sports teams should put vaccine mandates in place and require masking for right now. If you want to play, you get the shot and you mask. Period.

[mae0111]

I agree that indoor sports should be masked. DD1 is vaxxed. I had a very difficult time finding a slot for DD2 (DD1 turned 12 just as the 5-11 shot was approved, so she got right in). Long wait times is the negative of living in a highly vaxxed area. 75% of our town is fully vaxxed, and our town leans a bit red (in a verrrrry blue area).

DD2 has her first appointment after Christmas. She usually puts up a fight with shots, but she is ready. I feel good about DD1 playing, and I will feel better about DD2 once she’s done.

[mustardseed2007]

I agree with mommyatty, you are exactly right. We have to find a way to live with this but that should mean masks and vaccinations for everyone who can get one.

DH's BIL and his teen sons won't get the vaccine and DH got into a HUGE fight with them about it over thanksgiving. Not to change the subject but I'm so nervous about sticking with our normal schedule of christmas eve with DH's family and Christmas day with mine. It feels like I'm going to get omicron and then the next day go visit my elderly mom who is 3x vaccinated but still got pneumonia and almost died from a noncovid cold 6 months ago.

[traveltheworld]

I kind of feel like a hypocrite. We are all vaccinated, both kids have their first shots, and we are in a very highly vaccinated area (over 82%). But both of my kids play hockey unmasked. There is a boy in DS's team whose parents are anti-vaxxers and as a result, can't come watch any practices or games, but that won't matter if they catch covid, spread it to their son who then spreads it to the team.

I could and probably should pull my kids from hockey, but....I don't, because they love it so much, and I'm tired from not living life normally...which the rational part of my brain tells me is the wrong thing.

[mae0111]

traveltheworld , I completely understand your perspective. DD2 was really upset when they canceled her basketball until January (and again, I doubt it will actually start back up again). She missed all of last year, so she was so excited to finally play again. I was sad for her, but at the same time, I was a bit relieved that it was one less thing for us to do before the holidays - one less place to get exposed. But, like you, we are all tired of it. 3 out of 4 of us are vaccinated. 4th one is scheduled, I get my booster next week, DH gets his in Jan. I worry about exposing my parents, but my dad is still refusing the vaccine and barely wearing a mask, so... what can we do??

[waverly]

Yup, my husband pointed out that between all of us we have 9 shots (it's actually 10 ha ha). 3 shots each for DH and I, and both the kids are fully vaccinated including the 2 week wait.

I did want them to wear masks for basketball, but I do understand that it is a difficult sport to play masked, but it is inside. I signed him up thinking that the local government park district would enforce masks and practices are in the school which also enforces masks during the school day, but I guess no one from the school is there during practice. And during assessment where the park district official was there, he clearly had made a decision not to enforce as there were half efforts all over the place. So I can't really do much if the people in charge are not doing anything and all the coaches are volunteers. They did just cancel practice this week which I was surprised they were having anyway since if school is closed for winter break, I am sure they don't want to open just for basketball practice.

It's also in the state regulations that they wear masks, and it appears that PD, school, coaches and everyone is just ignoring it for players, but might make it masked for spectators?  Not sure since we haven't had a game yet.  

[mustardseed2007]

It feels like we're stuck here protecting the unvaccinated but then there are also medically fragile people that we are protecting. But it feels like if we didn't have all those unvaccinated people then we could employ other mitigation measures to protect the medically fragile like masks and testing and vaccines of others. I get being fed up and not wanting to stop living your life to protect people who don't want to protect themselves.

[waverly]

mustardseed2007 , yeah I don't know what the answer is. My friend is a cardiology nurse on the Covid floor and she says the wait is days to go from ER to inpatient. Days.... So I do it for their sake, but we wouldn't be in the hospital anyway. And I don't routinely hang out with someone who would end up in the hospital to pass it to them. So I am not sure what I am actually achieving by still evaluating risks, plus people are bad with evaluating risks anyway. So sometimes I am risky but not all the time, and basically just been "lucky" so far, well that and vaccinated. So did me skipping a vaccinated large party to attend a vaccinated small theater show make a difference?  Maybe not since if I got Covid, I wouldn't be the issue, and I am not currently seeing my family that is unvaccinated due to winter weather and driving, so I am not passing it onto anyone except maybe unvaccinated at work and that is only 2 people and we are always masked at work. 

My other friends is the ICU nurse, and they basically just send people home with oxygen. The ones that are there are on vents, everyone else home with oxygen- bye we have no room for you.

ETA- And I get not all kids can get the vaccine yet, but we don't routinely see people who have younger kids.  Our friend's kids are all vaccinated.  I don't know about kids at school and basketball and scouts, but I feel like the parents have a responsibility to vaccinate their kids, and if they haven't that was their responsibility.  But this would be easier if we had full FDA approval and the school could require it.