DiGIOVANNI: Sports may not seem to matter in coronavirus era, but of course they do

We have now had three full weeks of the state of Pennsylvania’s near-shutdown, and three weeks without scholastic sports.

Coronavirus has changed life as we know it.

People’s lives have been turned upside down and too many lives have been lost. Some people will read this and say, “Who cares about high school sports right now? There are more important things to worry about!”

And of course, those people are half right.

Obviously, in the grand scheme of this crisis, whether or not a high school lacrosse or baseball game goes off without a hitch seems meaningless when lives are on the line.

But, in the small corner of the universe where we live, high school sports are a very important part of many lives.

With the Daily Local News’ “Senior Weeks” series, I have talked to many high school senior athletes. In every one of those young people’s voices was a sad sense of despair and hopelessness.

They have dedicated most of their young lives to their craft, putting in countless time over the years to play their senior season with the friends they have had for life.

Yet, with each passing day, the prospect of a spring sports season gets bleaker and bleaker, as good news is almost impossible to find. Each day seems to bring more tragedy and despair.

For nearly all of these athletes, except for the small percentage who will play in college, this marks the end of organized team sports.

But, hope does spring eternal. And maybe, just maybe, things stabilize, and Governor Wolf opens school the first week in May, allowing these skilled athletes to showcase the talent and skills they have honed for many years.

At times, sports seem trivial compared to other facets if life.

But, for a country, and world, that has been shocked and shaken to its core, boy, would it not be great to see these young athletes out on the fields and tracks and tennis courts right now.

All we can do is hope.

Peter DiGiovanni covers high school sports for the Daily Local News. Follow him on Twitter @PeteDLN.