Besides the obvious physical benefits, youth sports provide social interaction that also provides a degree of mental health. Since most sports require getting up close and personal with other athletes, the COVID-19 pandemic has created some challenges.
"Initially, there was a fear of transmission of COVID-19 among athletes, especially with the contact sports. That is why a lot of these sports were canceled or postponed. But fortunately, we have not seen a rapid spread amongst contact sports," says Dr. Jennifer Maynard, a sports and family physician at Mayo Clinic.
According to Dr. Maynard, as the pandemic has gone on, statistics indicate that sports are not the issue. Rather, data indicate the spread of COVID-19 among athletes occurs not during sports participation, but from social contact, she says. And the rate of infection is proportional to the community rate.
"It's the environment of the athletes, both on and off the court or the field that makes the biggest difference, not the actual sport. Most local outbreaks are due to contact in the locker room or on the sidelines or from other social engagements outside of the sport itself," she explains.
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For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
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