Is a Bubble the Answer?

by with 2 Comments FeaturedSports

For 5 weeks I’ve been living life in the WNBA bubble, also known as the wubble, in Bradenton, Florida at the prestigious IMG Academy. Players and team staff are quarantined, tested daily, and holding social distancing practices as much as possible. We practiced, ate, and gave medical care while getting used to our new normal without being allowed to leave the premises. Well, as much as possible around teens who were on campus for various sports camps and Academy staff who were going home to their families everyday. I guess you could say that we were separated from them as much as we possibly could, although I did find out that Academy staff were being tested every 2-3 days as well. 

I’d be foolish if I said that everything was well-planned and that the logistics were perfect from day one, but through some trial and error, and constant communication, we seem to have hit a bit of a sweet spot. For instance, every person on each team’s travel party had to take 3 coronavirus tests prior to flying out to prove that he/she had not been exposed to the virus. The testing did expose several players prior to leaving and even caused one team to delay departure due to multiple positive results. However, once given the “all clear” we were placed on a commercial flight which, from our city, happened to be a full flight that allowed for no social distancing at all. Thankfully, as a healthcare provider, I was well prepared with an N95 mask, face shield, gloves and enough wipes to sanitize the entire plane. Upon arrival, we then mixed in with the rest of the people in the airport- although by no means full- Florida had just been rated a growing coronavirus hot spot, so even a handful of people warranted suspicion. 

Once we arrived as a team at the IMG premises, we picked up our room or house keys and set out to find our dwellings for the next 4 days where we would be quarantined again. Meals were delivered 3 times a day, and grocery delivery services became fast favorites of everyone. The only time of day that we were allowed to leave was for the daily testing procedure that was scheduled by team so that we did not potentially cross-contaminate one another. After the initial quarantine period practices began for 2 weeks until the season finally kicked off on July 25.

While there have been a small number of true positive tests, most teams have stayed to themselves still, with the occasional moments of mingling at meals or the pool. When a positive result is returned, all team leads are notified, with care to protect the identity of the person to decrease the stigma. The athlete or staff member is immediately isolated in a designated off-campus hotel and tested again for the next 2 days to determine whether or not the result is true or false. In some cases, if there is a roommate or family member present, appropriate care is taken to retest and isolate them if necessary as well. 

The elephant in the room was the noticeable differences between what was shown and exposed about the NBA bubble compared to the wubble. For instance, our testing seemed to be administered using a different procedure almost daily, by different people- some getting good samples and some barely seeming to scratch the surface. The problem is that an insufficient sample is listed as “positive,” causing the individual to be isolated at a remote site and having to wait at least 2 days to obtain consecutive negative results. This has lead to missed games and practices. Instead, the NBA has access to rapid tests to be used in similar cases which can turnaround results within hours and avoid an unnecessary isolation and missed games. Let’s not even talk about how it’s taken the entire 5 weeks to get someone (2 people to be exact) into the wubble to staff the hair salon for a limited 2 week period to do hair for a couple hundred women and the male staff, while the NBA has had multiple barbers on site from the beginning, and they rotate them out every 2 weeks. The WNBA doesn’t know if/when the hairstylists will return after this initial 2 week period. NBA players can also have family members visit and go in and out on designated days, while WNBA players cannot unless they came in on the first day as a caregiver for an accompanying child. 

The disparities in services and accommodations are present and the topic of some conversations, but overall everyone recognizes the real reason we are here- to cut the risk of exposure to, and spread of the coronavirus. It is my opinion and has been for a few months now, that it will be difficult to play any sport without the use of a “bubble” experience. This takes a lot of time and effort to plan and raises multiple medical and logistical challenges. I applaud the medical professionals and team and league representatives who have labored tirelessly to make a season possible, and I believe that the NBA and WNBA have been successful because of it. Is it realistic to put all football (college or professional) or major league baseball teams into the same bubble where they only interact with one another, are tested daily, and don’t have to travel for games? Probably not. For this reason, I side with the college conferences that have decided to forgo all Fall sports. 

I also applaud the NCAA for beginning to look at possible bubble situations for men’s basketball already, and hope that they can identify locations that can adequately support the unique needs of athletic medicine, performance and education of college athletes. I’d be lying if I said that I was 100% confident that the NFL season would start without a hitch. We have seen the challenges that MLB has faced when each team has been allowed to “create” it’s own bubble at the facility. However, trusting athletes to go straight home, not have outside company or even family visit, and the many other scenarios make it very difficult to predict outcomes from day to day. The truth is that America still has way too many people who don’t take the virus and it’s spread seriously, thus the decisions made away from the facility are often based solely on self.

I’m not sure what it will take for us to change our behavior collectively so that we can eradicate this virus, but hopefully, sports can help us unify in ways nothing else has been able to do. 

Similar Read: Do You Remember 2020?

Why is Mental Health Ignored in Schools?

by with 3 Comments FeaturedGen Z

Everyone remembers the Parkland, Florida shooting that occurred in February 2018, taking the lives of 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Just recently news has come out that two MSDHS students have committed suicide. I personally found out about this news on Twitter, where people took to tweeting about mental health, particularly PTSD in this case. 

I believe that schools do not do an adequate job of addressing and working with mental health issues. At my own university, there is always a waitlist, sometimes a month-long to see a therapist on campus. My school does provide counseling services for free on campus, which is amazing, but they are severely understaffed. As college students, many of us cannot afford to go to therapy regularly. My school has good intentions with the free counseling program, but overall they need to expand their efforts. A student should not face a month-long waitlist when they choose to seek help.

Thinking back to my high school experience, I cannot remember a single mention of mental health outside of learning about different disorders in psychology class. I’m not quite sure why high schools don’t generally address the topic of mental health, but I believe this is a huge mistake. High school environments are home to bullying, stress, and expectations that all take a huge toll on students’ mental health. I thoroughly believe that high schools should not only be educating students about mental health, but also offering more services for help.

The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survived an extremely tragic event that will undoubtedly stay with them and shape their lives forever. It is highly likely that many of the students at MSDHS have or will develop PTSD due to this experience. Especially after a tragic event, schools should address mental health and work with the students to work through grief or trauma. MSDHS already lost 17 students to gun violence, and it is horrible that they are losing even more to suicide.

Various news articles say that students of MSDHS were feeling what is known as “survivor’s guilt”, ultimately leading to suicide. After such a traumatic event as the mass shooting, MSDHS should have been much more focused on mental health for both the students and the rest of the community surrounding the school. Tweets from MSDHS students revealed as early as a week after the shooting, students were expected to return back to normal school life as if nothing had happened.

News has also recently come out that a parent of one of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting has also committed suicide. We all know the deadly effects of gun violence, but it seems that the lasting mental effects afterwards are not addressed or sufficiently treated. Although losing a child or a friend is not something a person can easily get over, the mental health effects can be handled better if we just addressed them. Those who survive shooting situations should, without a doubt, be provided with adequate mental health care. No one can effectively walk away from such a situation and be completely fine. Mental health concerns should be taken far more seriously if we want to stop these tragic suicides.

This article was originally published on 15 February 2019.

Similar Read: The Veiled Epidemic of Suicide

California Passes Act That Will Allow College Athletes to Get Paid, What Will Other States Do?

by with One Comment FeaturedSports

A couple of weeks ago, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed The Fair Pay to Play Act, which will allow college athletes in California to be paid for the use of their name, image and likeness. California schools will not pay athletes under the new bill, but athletes will be allowed to hire agents and seek out business deals. 

This is huge! 

Even if you’re not a fan of college sports… I’m sure you’re well aware that everyone from Bo Jackson to Zion Williamson has never received a dime (aka compensation) for their work and talent as a college athlete. Meanwhile, the NCAA has made billions of dollars over the years in profit based solely off their talents. 

Until now. 

And it matters that this act took place in California because it’s the largest state in the country in terms of both population and economic power. And… California has several powerhouse collegiate programs to draw top-ranked athletes, such as UCLA, Cal, and Stanford, all of which are worthy of 5-star athletes who might consider them over other programs like the University of Texas solely due to their personal income potential.

Unless… Texas (the second-largest state in terms of population and economic power) passes their own version. And to not be outdone by the lone star state… Florida… with its own large population with economic might not want students going to Texas A&M over Florida State. Not a coincidence, both Florida and Texas are hotbeds for college football recruiting. With everything else they have to compete with, are they really going to stand by and let their top athletes leave the state because of failing to compete legislative wise? 

That brings us to a crossroads, which eventually will lead to either one of two things… the NCAA steps in and fixes its serfdom-like ways with college athletes, OR… literally every state or the federal government as a whole will enact a federal “fair play to pay” act. 

This will inevitably open the grounds for student-athletes to finally get some form of compensation, stipend, allowance, or outright paycheck for the use of their name, image or likeness.

Call me crazy, but I think we’re long overdue for such a a common-sense correction.

What do you think?

Returning to Work

by with 3 Comments FeaturedPoliticsRace Relations

The highly anticipated midterms are over… Not necessarily a “blue wave” but enough Democrats won to reclaim the House. So now the Dems can call for investigations, subpoenas, etc. We’re not sure how much success they’ll have, but if nothing else it’ll add to the circus that Washington has now become. 

If you’re a Black American, regardless of where you reside, you were hopeful Gillum and Abrams would win their Florida and Georgia Gov races respectfully. Let’s be honest, you were probably more than hopeful. You might’ve donated to their campaigns, at the very least your eyes were probably glued to CNN or MSNBC as they reported and updated the numbers. 

But while we didn’t want to admit it, the writing was on the wall when the coverage for these two big races began to fade and focus was redirected to other less historic or risky races. Gillum jumped to a lead, but Florida is Florida, and once the panhandle numbers came it was a done deal. Abrams on the other hand never appeared to have a shot. Her opponent jumped out to a big lead and held on. 

All that support, time, energy, “sweat equity,” registering new voters, younger voters, etc… wasted. Minorities including Black Americans have given a lot to this country. If Democrats can’t win elections with great candidates against opponents who blatantly traffic in racism and bigotry, then perhaps Dems aren’t the answer or the party for minorities? Or perhaps a drastic shift in leadership is the only way to get over this hump? 

Across this country, millions of Black Americans and minorities are mustering up the strength to return to mostly all-White offices and workplaces (today and the rest of the week) having suffered another moral and legislative defeat that hits them in every way possible. Where does that strength come from? Where are the safe places needed to exchange thoughts, vent, and move on? Trying to do so… after an 8-10 hour workday… year after year… election after election… can’t be healthy. 

Advice… don’t engage in political discussion, don’t take the everyday frustrations that come with any job personal, and stay close to family and friends who either know your pain, can relate, or have exemplified empathy. 

Dems should take a hard look at how they decide to campaign and strategize moving forward. Taking the “high road” sounds great, when you win. But they lost, two devastating and deflating losses. In both Florida and Georgia, their opponents made it about race. Not just race, but nasty racism… whether it was “monkey this up” or repeat overtly racist robocalls, digs at their education and fitness for office, Republicans in Florida and Georgia made up their mind that they were gonna hit low, hit hard, and hit often. That’s exactly what they did, and it carried them to victory. 

Gillum, Abrams, and Dems collectively did the exact opposite. They stayed high, and once again, to no avail. Is the solution to go just as low, probably not. But when you run two highly qualified charismatic candidates in Gillum and Abrams, and still lose, you should probably take a hard look at your playbook, strategy, and party leadership. 

Change is never easy, but it is inevitable. Since Dems expect or count Black Americans and minorities in their tent, they need to start making changes and winning the games/elections they should win, because something tells me this younger generation won’t be as patient and understanding as those that came before them.