The question on the mind of a lot of high school soccer players, whether they are varsity soccer players or freshman, is will the Coronavirus or COVID not allow me to play soccer this year and will my soccer season get canceled. This is a very real fear as it has canceled and postponed many sports going right now.
It is hard to predict how this will all play out as entire Spring Sports seasons were cancelled due to COVID and the Coronavirus. So what makes people think the fall season would be any different? Additionally, Epidemiologists are suggesting there will be another peak of COVID in September and that a vaccine is 12-18 months off. However, I think there are legit reasons for optimism that High School Soccer seasons, both Varsity and Junior Varsity, will play:
1) If School is in, then how do you not allow people to play soccer? The fact is the contact kids make during a day of school is going to pale in comparison to the exposure they would get on a soccer field. Do people run into each other and push and shove each other on a soccer field? Yes. But in the end on a soccer field you are only being exposed to 22 people at most whereas in school you are exposed to Hundreds.
2) Soccer is outside, that matters. The fact is being inside in groups is the number one way COVID is transmitted. Just being outside makes soccer a safer recreational activity.
3) There are some simple protections that soccer can implement to make the game safer for the players and spectators:
Every player and spectator wears a mask
Heading the ball is a penalty
One parent per player allowed as a spectator
Have the Bench for the players further back from the playing field and spread out
So, yes at the end of the day I think they can play soccer in High School and do it without testing or vaccines.