‘I’m Anxious to Get Out and Compete.’ Senior Citizens Still Plan to Play in Travel Softball Tournaments During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Will Rogers, director of a senior softball tournament scheduled to take place in early June in Columbia, Mo., will be hosting an event that seems inherently dangerous. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, you’d be hard-pressed to find a public health expert who thinks a gathering of 60 teams from various states, with players ranging in age from 40 to 70-plus, is a good idea. The data could not be clearer: older Americans are most at risk of suffering fatal consequences of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. However, Rogers, who will also suit up to play with the 65-and-over Kansas City Kids at the Missouri Open, isn’t spending much time worrying about the potential pitfalls of his event. He says the event will have several safety measures in place, like face coverings for catchers and umpires and mandatory social distancing in the dugouts. “I don’t get nervous,” says Rogers, 67, who’s been in charge of the Missouri Open for some 15 years. “But I’m anxious to get out and compete and play and bullsh*t with the guys.” As shelter in place orders expire throughout the country and many states gradually begin the economic reopening process, many senior softball players are ready to round the bases again. Rogers says he’s had to turn away about 10 teams from the Missouri Open, which is slated to be the first national-level tournament sanctioned by Senior Softball USA to return since the COVID-19 outbreak. After ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news