The things you learn when you keep up with the world of lacrosse are not always the most encouraging.

The good news is that things are looking up.

2020 was nothing if not surreal. It was March 11 when COVID hit the NBA, and correctly predicted the disaster, they immediately suspended the season. The NHL followed suit, then the MLB delayed their season, the NFL turned to a  virtual draft season, and the NCAA banned spectators at their events. It snowballed from there, with the 2020 Olympic Games being delayed until this summer (fingers crossed on that one), and spring sports everywhere, at all levels, being postponed or cancelled. College sports took a huge hit, with hundreds of programs on hold, and many sports being dropped permanently from college athletic offerings. It’s an evolving process of review and adaptation, from the pro level to youth, and it has taken its toll.

Gradually, as we at HGR learned more about the virus, we adapted. Read https://hgrlacrosse.com/you-guessed-it-lacrosse-and-the-virus/ for our first response. We had to cancel games and clinics for a while. We leaned on virtual options for training, with videos posted online featuring live-action drills and tips from Coaches Kristy Robertson, Pete Smyth, and Bryan Brazill. (You can catch these HERE.) We put a comprehensive COVID protocol strategy in place, which you can read on any HGRLacrosse.com page. Fortunately, these strict precautions proved to be successful, and HGR resumed all of its programs for Summer and Fall/Winter of 2020.

We will always keep a close eye on what medical experts recommend to keep the virus away from our players. As was recently reported at InsideLacrosse.com, As of January, the National Federation of State High School Associations stopped classifying sports based on potential COVID risk:

“No individual or team sport can be determined to be solely HIGH, MODERATE or LOW risk based upon current available research. Coronavirus transmission rates in all sports vary based upon multiple factors and exist on a continuum.”

The update is welcome news for boys’ lacrosse, which was previously categorized as “high risk” for COVID-19 transmission.”

This pandemic has taught us a lot, particularly how adaptable we are to annoyances like mask-wearing, distancing, constant hand washing, and vaccinating. They are second nature to us now and there is hope for a safer, healthier, and more fun future for HGR players and families, where we can fill the bleachers with fans, high-five each other, and see more of each others’ faces.

Do what keeps us all healthy.