New Guidelines For The Team ~ What will your team do? What to expect.

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radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
The point of social distancing was never -- NEVER -- to try to prevent any/everyone from getting infected. That's a fool's errand. The disease is in cats, which means it's in squirrels and rats. it's not going away, and we simply can't prevent people from coming in contact with it. The point was to prevent the hospital system from getting overrun with too many cases at once. When we -- us, politicians, celebrities, everyone -- was thinking rationally abut this, that was a good plan. it's morphed into this general idea of trying to stop an invisible, sometimes airborne disease from ever touching anyone.

But the idea that we can prevent a microscopic organism that is already in the ecosystem from spreading is ludicrous. It's scientifically impossible. If the concern is going to be "because someone might catch it", then we really do need to call it quits for the society we know and figure out what we do next.

Shutting down softball won't stop it. Keeping schools closed won't stop it. Lines to get into the grocery store wont' stop it. If you don't get it this summer, you'll likely get it in the fall. And if not in the fall, then in the winter or maybe next spring. It's going to take a LONG time to develop a vaccine or an anti-viral, and nobody wants to be the first batch of those.

So if your idea is that we should wait until the danger passes, the danger is not passing. I'm a sailor -- when bad weather is coming at seas, you shorten your sails, you get ready to heave to. But you eventually have to ride out the storm. We keep thinking that if we wait long enough or wear masks or stay away from each other the virus will just go away.

It won't. We need to stop thinking it will.
This is another explanation of why risk mitigation guidelines are being discussed and implemented.
 
May 12, 2016
4,338
113
A sailor will sail into the storm if there's nowhere else to go and you've got to get through it.

While your point makes sense, you're not looking at the big picture. So lets zoom out a tad from the idea of "safety." We can start with schools. Most districts have reported 85 percent inclusion in their remote programs. That sounds great, until you realize that it means 15 percent of students are participating. A sixth of our kids have totally lost a third of a year of schooling. In addition, because of the lack of sales tax and other revenue, they are projecting laying off 277,000 teachers. Eight percent of the national total. So in order to mitigate, we’ve let education take a large hit. And that’s not even factoring other governmental sacrifices, like road work, inspections, permits, whatever. Hell, in Georgia and Wisconsin they’re waiving driving tests. It seems like the easy thing is to say mitigate; the overall impact is much larger.

like, for example, the food supply. Farmers are tilling under crops because they can’t find workers or buyers. Ranchers are doing the same. Imagine waiting in lines not for toilet paper, but actual life staples. The food supply chain is in jeopardy. So we can mitigate. Not stop, not prevent, not cure. Mitigate. Delay.

have you thought about what happens when people stop paying bills?Renters have alreadydone that; mortgages have as well. What about when your biggest client decides that they’d rather stay liquid and have you go after them in court than give up the money? Or when hospitals and general practices go broke because of this kind of distancing? Or when the people we consider essential — the ones who provide us convenience — start realizing how little we value their health compared to our own? We’re letting the class divide get even larger.

If you’re talking about waiting this out until there’s a vaccine, you’re talking about the destruction of our society as we know it. To go back to the sailing metaphor, when you have to get somewhere you sail through the storm. We can’t avoid this one.
If you are on this site you love ball, you probably love other sports as well, I know I do.. All those things you mention above are essential, they are based on essential needs in our society. You know a lot more about how bad things are in the US, we are struggling in Canada as well. This is about mitigation, you make a lot of good points. Like you previously mentioned in your metaphor, lower your sails, that's called mitigation because you can't sail around the storm. Well if things are as bleak as you believe they are, why are we here talking about starting the softball season? IMO, if we are going down the path you are projecting, then playing softball is not essential and less gathering = less infection. So maybe as a society we should be focusing on the things that really matter until we have a vaccine. Not playing ball would be no different then lowering your sails in this scenario. Unnecessary gatherings would help flatten the curve.. which is the overall goal you mentioned in your first post.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
A sailor will sail into the storm if there's nowhere else to go and you've got to get through it.

While your point makes sense, you're not looking at the big picture. So lets zoom out a tad from the idea of "safety." We can start with schools. Most districts have reported 85 percent inclusion in their remote programs. That sounds great, until you realize that it means 15 percent of students are participating. A sixth of our kids have totally lost a third of a year of schooling. In addition, because of the lack of sales tax and other revenue, they are projecting laying off 277,000 teachers. Eight percent of the national total. So in order to mitigate, we’ve let education take a large hit. And that’s not even factoring other governmental sacrifices, like road work, inspections, permits, whatever. Hell, in Georgia and Wisconsin they’re waiving driving tests. It seems like the easy thing is to say mitigate; the overall impact is much larger.

like, for example, the food supply. Farmers are tilling under crops because they can’t find workers or buyers. Ranchers are doing the same. Imagine waiting in lines not for toilet paper, but actual life staples. The food supply chain is in jeopardy. So we can mitigate. Not stop, not prevent, not cure. Mitigate. Delay.

have you thought about what happens when people stop paying bills?Renters have alreadydone that; mortgages have as well. What about when your biggest client decides that they’d rather stay liquid and have you go after them in court than give up the money? Or when hospitals and general practices go broke because of this kind of distancing? Or when the people we consider essential — the ones who provide us convenience — start realizing how little we value their health compared to our own? We’re letting the class divide get even larger.

If you’re talking about waiting this out until there’s a vaccine, you’re talking about the destruction of our society as we know it. To go back to the sailing metaphor, when you have to get somewhere you sail through the storm. We can’t avoid this one.
Another explanation of why guidelines are being implemented.
One of the reasonings being so meat production plants workers can go back to work without massive shut down out breaks.

Less risk is not the same as no risk.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Says who?
Ok...I will modify since I am not sure if you are being serious or not:

"For most, education is more important than softball" .

Better or is that still too strong of a statement for you? Also I should probably put "For most adults" since I will freely admit, when I was my DD's age if you had put a truth serum in me I would have said baseball was more important.. :LOL:
 
Last edited:

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
And that's the thing. You can have all the mitigation you want at the field. but you also can't control sally who had 3 sleep overs in the last week and comes to practice.

Do we ban children who's parents work in healthcare because they might have contracted Covid at work and given it to their DD and she brings it to practice? How far do you or are you willing to take this?

We're in a race between safetyism and facts.

The player sliding into home with the catcher making a tag and umpire right there....not gonna be the case where the virus is transferred.

On field play, even the dugouts are not going to be the likely transfer locations. Hanging out under tents, sitting next to someone in the bleachers for 1.5 hours those are more likely.

Driving in you car you will not "Catch" the virus, yet we see drivers everywhere with masks on. Walking past someone on the sidewqlk you won't "catch" the virus but we see people with masks on outdoors jumping 6-10 feet away to not get "to close".

Much of what is being implemented seems to be about optics not true disease spread mitigation. Fear has to be replaced with rationale reasonable common sense and then get back to life.

Ultimately you have to make the best decision for your family. That's your responsibility and right. But if you go to the fields you have to accept the choices that others make as well. If you can't accept the personal decisions others make then you shouldn't go to the fields. But that also probably would apply going to the grocery store too...or anywhere in public. (herman1202 -not a comment towards you adding to your post)
This expressed the situation.
People are going to prioritize things differently.

When comming together for a
social/sports/public function
Its takes everyone to be involved or it wont be able to happen.

A team includes people who may prioritize completely opposite.
Scenario.
A team has been playing together for
a year-and-a-half and all the girls are growing up together moving up in grades at their school. Their team is more than just a team, it is a unit and they like it that way.
Two of the girls have more extreme situations at home. They are using guidelines everywhere.
So either the entire team follows guidelines 'at softball' to help lessen the risk. Or their two teammates don't get to play at all.
Now you can have a conversation with your daughter and tell them whatever you think the appropriate answer is.
Because if you don't do the guideline thing for your teammates.
They won't be your teammates.

Think having guidelines when interacting in public means~
Shared time is made less risky
Because you can do whatever you want
on your own time.
 
Last edited:
Jan 5, 2018
385
63
PNW
Another explanation of why guidelines are being implemented.
One of the reasonings being so meat production plants workers can go back to work without massive shut down out breaks.

Less risk is not the same as no risk.
Exactly. And each family has to decide where that “less risk” line is. And accept the choices of their teammates families if they chose to play

but honestly you’re making the same decision when you go to grocery store
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Exactly. And each family has to decide where that “less risk” line is. And accept the choices of their teammates families if they chose to play

but honestly you’re making the same decision when you go to grocery store
The grocery stores have guidelines here.
Our county is no mandatory masks.
However some have posted apon entering mandatory masks.

How about everyones area?
Come to think of it dont see many kids grocery shopping with parents? Hmmmm
 
Jan 5, 2018
385
63
PNW
If you are on this site you love ball, you probably love other sports as well, I know I do.. All those things you mention above are essential, they are based on essential needs in our society. You know a lot more about how bad things are in the US, we are struggling in Canada as well. This is about mitigation, you make a lot of good points. Like you previously mentioned in your metaphor, lower your sails, that's called mitigation because you can't sail around the storm. Well if things are as bleak as you believe they are, why are we here talking about starting the softball season? IMO, if we are going down the path you are projecting, then playing softball is not essential and less gathering = less infection. So maybe as a society we should be focusing on the things that really matter until we have a vaccine. Not playing ball would be no different then lowering your sails in this scenario. Unnecessary gatherings would help flatten the curve.. which is the overall goal you mentioned in your first post.

we may or may not have a vaccine. As of now, I believe there has been a vaccine for the corona virus family

at some point we can’t live if fear. Fear does not stop death but it does stop life.

we have flattened the curve. We have not overwhelmed the healthcare system

the path whiporee mentioned can be avoided by reopening society, even if gradually. This doesn’t seem to be a binary decision imho
 
Jan 5, 2018
385
63
PNW
The grocery stores have guidelines here.
Our county is no mandatory masks.

However some have posted apon entering mandatory masks.

How about everyones area?
Come to think of it dont see many kids grocery shopping with parents? Hmmmm

equating this to softball

You can choose to not go to store that requires masks because you don’t agree shoppers should wear masks. Or choose to only go to stores that require masks because you think that’s safest. Same with softball......if you’re in agreement with measures team/TD are taking you decide to let your DD play. If you’re not in agreement with measures team/TD are or are not taking them you choose not to play at this time

kids not shopping......in our area partly because store limiting #of people per shopper entering store so you reallycan’t take the whole brady bunch with you

in our area one governor has delayed “requiring masks” inside all retail for 3 weeks because supply chain of PPE isn’t available. But next week he may require masks in all retail settings. Yet “everyone has been going to grocery store

I suspect our team will follow guidelines in order to play

but there’s also the common sense and practical application of guidelines that gets lost in all of this discussion

what’s responsibl?

whats practical?

We can’t try to play softball in a semiconductors clean room....isn’t feasible
 
Feb 20, 2020
377
63
Well if things are as bleak as you believe they are, why are we here talking about starting the softball season?

I don't think the world is shut down because things are bleak. I think things are bleak because the world has shut down.

It needed to be shut down. We needed to avoid what could have happened if the virus went unfettered. And we did. We can't keep saying that as soon as we open things up we're right back where we were. because if we do that, we never open up. At some point we're going to say enough is enough. And when we do, the numbers won't look much different than they do right now. But the devastation of a lot of our society gets worse the longer we wait.
 

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