It’s difficult to understand how collegiate sports coaches can be so callous in demanding their players to train during this pandemic. There’s a reason why the IATF has classified areas in the country under GCQ or MGCQ or MECQ or ECQ. All you need to do is to check how many COVID-19 cases are being reported on a daily basis and you’ll know why.
Under GCQ, the stipulations are clear. Any person below 21 is required to remain in his residence at all times and “the movement of all persons in areas placed under GCQ shall be limited to accessing essential goods and services and for work in the offices or industries permitted to operate, provided that movement for leisure purposes shall not be allowed.” Pro athletes were allowed to restart training in limited numbers and under strict health/safety protocols because playing is their livelihood. Besides, the IATF can rely on GAB to make sure protocols are imposed and followed as the government agency in charge of supervising pro sports.
It goes without saying that the IATF prevents non-pro athletes, particularly student-athletes, from engaging in team workouts. A lot of student-athletes are below 21 so they automatically fall under GCQ constraints. The idea of staying home isn’t a whim thought up by the IATF. Neither is social distancing nor washing hands. The world is up against a deadly enemy that’s wreaking havoc on economies and lives. It’s no joke.
There is no certainty as to when the collegiate leagues will resume their seasons. That means the schedule of tournaments is up in the air. Schools were supposed to reopen last Monday but the Department of Education is prohibiting in-person classes and allowing only “distance learning modalities.” The restriction should also apply to student-athletes. It’s always been said that student-athletes must prioritize course education before court education. Unfortunately, some varsity coaches treat their players as athletes more than students, almost like pros since many of them actually hold contracts – something that school officials should address but choose not to. So when the IATF allowed pro athletes to begin training, some varsity coaches thought they could call in their players to do the same. That kind of mentality goes against the values that a school stands for. And in this pandemic, it also goes against the principles that the IATF has laid out for every Filipino to follow in the national interest.
Reports of certain varsity teams training in defiance of IATF guidelines are disturbing and alarming. Whoever is responsible for putting collegiate athletes at risk should be censured and sanctioned. A form that collegiate athletes had to fill up for the consent of parents or legal guardians to allow training in this pandemic without accountability of the school or coaches is highly irregular. On what basis should a school tolerate this blatant transgression? The disregard for government guidelines goes beyond sanctions by the collegiate league. The national government must step in to make the guilty parties accountable, with or without that unconscionable form.
There is talk that a varsity coach wanted to restart training and quarter the players in the school dorm but the parents refused. There is also talk of a school preparing a proposal to the IATF to allow the varsity team to practice but limiting the players’ age to 20 and above. Why? What for? To prevent them from getting stale even if there’s no tournament in the horizon? The IATF has more important and urgent issues to resolve than to grant an exemption to a school requesting to defy IATF guidelines. It’s time to stop treating student-athletes like pros. It’s time to act responsibly in this pandemic.