Thoughts on next winter's high school sports

With CDC guidelines and State High School Associations laying down new rules for competition this coming year, I really wonder if kids will play any high school sports.  I know, it is a real downer to even think that thought, but I think the cards are stacked against school sports.

To start with, Missouri's association  (MSHAA) has stated that if any sport has to be discontinued because of coronavirus infections, then all high school sports in that season will be canceled.  To me, that seems a little unfair.  If I run cross country and they set up staggered starts for races, then one might be able to compete with a low risk of infection.  Yeah, these runners are breathing hard but they aren't in each other's faces like a football line of scrimmage.  The same might be said in comparing wrestling, with its close contact, versus basketball.  You could probably reduce the risk of infection with close-in contact sports with masks but, if one wrestler contracts Covid-19 and infects the rest of his team, the hoops guys lose their season too.  Why would the swimmers or volleyball teams be locked out because other sports weren't safe due to intimate contact?

So, given that kids will get sick and will infect others, even if they socially isolate and wear masks at school and in their sport, I don't see how there will be high school sports this fall or winter.  We can't even get the general public to mask up so the virus keeps spreading and there seems to be no end in sight.

My question then begs an answer...  If there are no high school sports then can the Grassroots programs start this winter instead of waiting for March?  Why not?  You cannot compete in-season but that is only if the high school program is alive and well.  If MSHAA or any other state cancels your sport, then why couldn't the AAU programs kick in earlier?  I am not saying, play come hell or high water, but if they can play safely, why not?  Kids need to showcase their talents, and if they can do that safely in their particular sport, then why not let them play, even if the high school program has been shut down?

Want to know how 17U Grassroots boys basketball teams are ranked this summer?
https://grampsgrassroots2020.blogspot.com/2020/07/top-700-17u-grassroots-boys-teams.html

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