Life is a team sport and our job is to stay on the bench right now

WAYLAND, Mass. — Being cooped up isn’t easy for the kids who want to get out there and play ball with their friends, and it certainly isn’t easy for the parents who have kids feeling antsy being cooped up.

Youth sports leaders are still hoping to return a sense of normalcy for the kids in mid-May if it’s safe to do so.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the spring season’s been delayed and the start date has been a moving target.

If you registered your child for a spring sport, you probably got an email or saw a website post alerting you to a postponement.

Boston 25 News spoke to Chris Fay, a leader at the non-profit Positive Coaching Alliance and Wayland Little League, about the delayed season.

“My message to all the kids right now is we have to control what we can control,” he said. “And many of these decisions are outside of our control. Certainly, safety is our number one priority.”

Team sports are delayed but there's more time for less-structured play Games are canceled and spring sport seasons are uncertain but kids can still get in a game of catch with parents or run around off the field.

Fay says he considers this a long rain delay and reminds kids that they will get back on the field eventually. He says this situation is bigger than sports, but there are sports-related benefits to the delays too.

“One benefit to this is we’re bringing back less-structured sports right now,” Fay said in a video interview. “Kids are hopefully getting outside at their house, running around, having a catch with mom and dad.”

Fay adds that he explains this to his own young kids: life is a team sport and right now our role on the team is to stay home and keep our community safe from the spread of COVID-19.

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