I’m all in favor of moratorium week.
The idea behind requiring athletes to take time off during the summer is superb and should be enforced to some degree in every state.
From today through Saturday, per the IHSAA, there shall be no contact between athletes and coaches and no athletic activities, including conditioning, conducted.
In all honesty, these days, most kids don’t get much of a break.
Especially for the multisport athletes who virtually compete for 10 to 11 months a year between club/travel and high school activities.
As soon as one season ends, the next begins.
Look at last year’s calendar schedule for volleyball and cross-country conflicting with girls basketball.
The beginning of basketball season overlapped with girls volleyball sectionals and cross-country semistates.
A handful of athletes, in particular from Seymour and Trinity Lutheran, didn’t make the first week of basketball practices because they were still in their fall sports.
At Trinity, the day after the volleyball team lost in the regional, I saw four kids from the team at basketball practice in the gym.
That’s a quick turnaround.
All because, in 2014, the IHSAA passed a bylaw to eradicate conflicts between the 2015 girls basketball state finals and the boys sectional tournament, essentially only affecting the final eight girls basketball teams in the state tournament while the boys begin their postseason play.
I think that bylaw is insane, but that’s a different story for another time.
For what it’s worth, I think that some of these rigorous schedules persuade some kids to hyper-focus on one sport instead of enjoying playing on multiple teams.
As a former athlete, I know the benefits of playing multiple sports and encourage any kid to do so, but there should be standards for recouping periods.
The biggest thing is that this moratorium also gives the bodies time to recoup.
Ask a certified athletics trainer, most injuries you see today are due to overuse.
Too much torque and not enough rest, which needs to be taken into account on developing bodies.
We live in a society where kids, believe it or not, are asked even more of them than ever in athletics — good or bad.
Americans are obsessed with athletics and are hyper-focused on teams from pee-wee ball to the pros.
Again, good or bad.
As a former coach, I think it’s important that kids step away from their sports for periods of time.
It allows them to focus on being kids.
Some schools will take another moratorium week before athletics kick in during August.
I don’t know that another week should be required, but I certainly don’t think it will hurt more than it helps.
Enjoy the off week. The 2016-17 athletics calendar will come at you fast.