All-Star Covid-19 / Varsity Response

[Keep_Believing]

Interesting. Do you mind if I ask what grades these are for? Is it large or small district?

Bryan ISD, Pre K-12th. I’d say we are medium size.

 

[california cheer mom]

Thank you for this perspective. It's surprising that a person's oxygen levels wouldn't change at all with a mask. I've heard of former Olympic athletes that would prepare for competitions in cities that are at high altitude (meaning less oxygen available and more issues breathing) by practicing with a face mask to restrict oxygen and mimic a high-altitude setting. So were these Olympians and their coaches completely misguided in doing that? Granted, they were probably using something more high-tech than a basic cloth mask.

At the very least, I could see how covering someone's airways during exercise might give some kids anxiety, which in turn would affect breathing. Then there's the fact that you keep re-breathing hot air. Combine this with the 90 degree heat, and I could see how it might contribute to a kid overheating at cheer practice. There's a reason cheerleaders wear sports bras during the summer heat. The less cloth covering your body, the better chance you have of staying cool.

Are masks even effective if the cheerleaders are yanking on them with their dirty hands to adjust them every time they tumble/stunt, take water breaks, etc? What germs are they really stopping from spreading? I could see a mask obstructing a kid's vision as they tumble, or if a flyer comes down wrong onto a base, etc.

I'm all for wearing masks while grocery shopping, around the elderly, etc. I just don't know about wearing masks at cheer practice. Nobody has ever tried it before, so do any of us really know for sure that this would have no negative effect on kids who are doing grueling physical activity in non-air-conditioned places for 2 or 3 hours? I don't think everyone who voices concerns about this are "excuse making" as much as they just have different perspective/thoughts. I think about the high school football players who have died from heat stroke, and the last thing they probably needed was a hot mask on their face. Same for kids prone to asthma attacks.

I know everyone is frustrated by the rising case numbers, and I wish we could make it all go away by wearing masks to cheer practice, but it probably doesn't have much of an effect, especially if it's true that young kids aren't really the ones passing the virus around anyway.

That's a breathing trainer, totally different from a cloth or surgical mask. It is meant to train lungs to perform at a higher level.

 

[a_cheer_leaderxo]

I do not see school starting back in person anytime soon. Unfortunately, I don't see competitions happening this year. I hate to be the harbinger of bad news. However, the sooner we can start accepting this and moving forward the better.

Here in England, it has been announced that schools are to be back full time and with all pupils back for the new school year (our school year starts in September though.) Our schools never completely shut - they stayed open for the children of essential workers and for vulnerable children and last month they began welcoming back certain year groups where possible and with many guidelines in place.

 

[AshleyErin]

Here in England, it has been announced that schools are to be back full time and with all pupils back for the new school year (our school year starts in September though.) Our schools never completely shut - they stayed open for the children of essential workers and for vulnerable children and last month they began welcoming back certain year groups where possible and with many guidelines in place.

In Ontario they're talking about doing half in person, half virtual in order to reduce the number of kids at the school at once. I have soooo many opinions - why have the kids exposed at school to certain kids than to different kids at daycare/a babysitter? not all parents can stay home with their kids every other week/day

 

[123jump4!]

In Ontario they're talking about doing half in person, half virtual in order to reduce the number of kids at the school at once. I have soooo many opinions - why have the kids exposed at school to certain kids than to different kids at daycare/a babysitter? not all parents can stay home with their kids every other week/day

Yeah. Our school district did not want the half time option, bc it wouldn’t work for a lot of parents.

We will have in person with precautions or a virtual option. If numbers don’t get better though before next month there might not be an in person option at all. As per our school superintendent.

 

[a_cheer_leaderxo]

In Ontario they're talking about doing half in person, half virtual in order to reduce the number of kids at the school at once. I have soooo many opinions - why have the kids exposed at school to certain kids than to different kids at daycare/a babysitter? not all parents can stay home with their kids every other week/day

Yeah I think that's one of the many reasons a half and half scenario is not happening over here.

 

[quietmom]

For anyone who has a child in special education considering the online option, this is from a special education attorney in Georgia. It's a long read with a lot of good information.

 

[catlady]

"However, these guidelines don't necessarily address the health concerns of America's teachers or their willingness to return to in-person teaching. Federal data show nearly a third of teachers are over 50, putting them in a higher risk category when it comes to the disease"

Fear is touching every profession, but it will boil down to people will quit or go back to work. A few years back our school district did a reverse learning experiment in HS. The kids sat at home and listened to an online lecture provided by one teacher for all the kids within that district, and then at school the teachers provided question and answer time within class. Teachers in our district realized quickly you don't need 1 teacher to 24 students to provide question and answer time online, you can handle student questions much like a Customer Service online call bank with camera capability. Our school district is giving a choice this semester, however, that has a lot of teachers in our district concerned for their jobs, as well. They are well aware of the greatly decreased tax income from businesses and residents. Ultimately, most of the teachers I know are concerned about their students for the same reasons the AAP is, but I'm sure there will be some teachers that quit out of concern for their health no matter when school goes back in session.

 

[FTSP]

with all respect, I don't wear a mask unless I have to. And how am I supposed to base and fly with a shield? good advice for when I go out and am "required" to where something.

There is no safe way to stunt at this time of masks aren’t worn. It sucks for the athletes,coaches,parents,etc but it is what it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DonnaM]

Memphis is offering in person or virtual as well. Apparently 40% of parents did not want to send their kids back on surveys, which will get numbers low enough in the rooms to allow social distancing. They are also delaying the start of school a few weeks in the hopes of getting the current spike under control.

Fall sports are not allowed to practice while we're under a state of emergency. I know that most schools did cheer tryouts in June, before the order to shut down practices came down, but I assume they can't practice now, although the articles have focused on football.


My community college will have no fall sports, and is doing classes online except for labs and practical classes. No social events or gatherings for more than 10, so no in person club meetings, etc, on or off campus. I'm guessing that means they won't have cheer at all this year.

 

[CheerItFullOut]

In California here,
We started practice (heavily modified) July 1
Temp checks, social distancing, no stunting, kids have to answer a series of questions, can’t practice in groups larger than 10 and must be outside-we also spray hand sanitizer every water break, No use of public facilities or water fountains Etc...
Two days in, we paused practices in anticipation of a 4th of July outside socialization spike. So we will not be returning until the 13th as a preventative.
Our School was supposed to go back Aug 13 and now that is delayed to 20th.
We are planning a hybrid return with two days of in person instruction and 3 days of virtual. No activities except athletics. We expect fall athletics to be delayed either to October or pushed to January.
It is what it is...
We took a survey with the kids and even though those two days of practice were really weird with all the guidelines/ modifications And they couldn’t stunt... kids said just being together in any capacity was HUGE- gave them a sense of support and structure in all the chaos. So happy they we were able to provide that for them, even if it was just for a couple of days.
Hoping people are responsible this 4th so we can look at getting these numbers down- I think we can definitely balance being with loved ones or vacationing/celebrating but doing it in a way that is responsible.
Again- BALANCE (something I feel we would all be better off ...as a result of; it was practiced with EVERYTHING)

 

[quitthedrama]

I’m really surprised at those on here complaining about others having concerns about wearing masks and calling them irresponsible, immature, etc and yet they also seem to be adamant that stunting is perfectly safe as long as they have a mask on. Having direct bodily contact with one another especially while sweating, touching shoes, touching mats where other hands and feet have been will all contribute to the spread. You can’t pick and choose what to be offended about if you yourself is allowing your child to participate in stunting regardless of whether a mask is worn or not.

 

[AshleyErin]

I’m really surprised at those on here complaining about others having concerns about wearing masks and calling them irresponsible, immature, etc and yet they also seem to be adamant that stunting is perfectly safe as long as they have a mask on. Having direct bodily contact with one another especially while sweating, touching shoes, touching mats where other hands and feet have been will all contribute to the spread. You can’t pick and choose what to be offended about if you yourself is allowing your child to participate in stunting regardless of whether a mask is worn or not.

Exactly, I believe everyone should be wearing a mask (not that i've berated anyone on here about it), but we also aren't stunting at our gym as it does not abide by physical distancing guidelines. We also require all kids to wear a mask at all times except after we place them in their spot on the mat that is distanced from others, and once we're done we disinfect the mat before the next group of kids come in. It never hurts to be safer than government guidelines recommend. The kids are happy being back in the gym, and understand that if they can't stand next to someone at the grocery store they also probably shouldn't be stunting (well, I coach open and U17 so that may not be true of all age groups).

 

[Atxmom]

I’m really surprised at those on here complaining about others having concerns about wearing masks and calling them irresponsible, immature, etc and yet they also seem to be adamant that stunting is perfectly safe as long as they have a mask on. Having direct bodily contact with one another especially while sweating, touching shoes, touching mats where other hands and feet have been will all contribute to the spread. You can’t pick and choose what to be offended about if you yourself is allowing your child to participate in stunting regardless of whether a mask is worn or not.

I haven’t consented to letting my child do anything involving direct contact. But I don’t think anyone is adamant about stunting being “perfectly safe” with a mask, just if they are going to do it it’s foolish and irresponsible not wear one. It’s about using every option available to prevent spread.

 

[quitthedrama]

I haven’t consented to letting my child do anything involving direct contact. But I don’t think anyone is adamant about stunting being “perfectly safe” with a mask, just if they are going to do it it’s foolish and irresponsible not wear one. It’s about using every option available to prevent spread.

There are people on here judging about not wearing a mask but also allowing their kids to stunt. That's a double standard and picking and choosing how "responsible" you are willing to be about spreading the virus.