COLUMBIA, Mo. – Eli Drinkwitz has been the head soccer coach in Missouri for just over seven months.
He still has to lead the Tigers on the field, let alone win a game, but his role in the community has already forced him to take some important positions.
First, he was supporting his new players as they fought for equality in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement. Now it is encouraging that people wear masks when they are in public, which health experts insist is one of the best ways to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, although, like social justice, it has become an issue. politicized.
“I don’t think I have power. I have influence,” Drinkwitz said during a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, which began by wearing a mask with the Tigers logo. “There is a certain influence in being a head coach of an SEC school, being the head coach of Missouri, having the logo on the chest. It gives you some credibility when you talk. What we are trying to do is encourage people to it’s okay to wear a mask.
“I understand that there are arguments on both sides. I understand that for some reason it has been politicized,” added Drinkwitz. “I just think it’s a good public health policy. Does it solve all the problems? I don’t know. I’m a soccer coach. But I know that to do things we have to buy a collective mission.” Is it a perfect plan? Rarely are plans perfect. But they have an established plan. Let’s work out the plan. That is what we were trying to do. Let’s see if it works. “
Time is running out to see if it works before decisions are made about the upcoming college season.
Big Ten and Pac-12 have announced that they will be playing conference-only games this fall, if they can take the field. Leagues Ivy and Patriot of the FCS have decided not to compete in the fall.
SEC officials met Monday to discuss their plans, but won’t make a final decision until later this month.
“It is clear that the current circumstances related to COVID-19 must improve,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “In the coming weeks we will continue to meet regularly with campus leaders through videoconferencing and gather relevant information while being guided by medical advisers.”
Missouri has become one of the latest hotspots for the coronavirus, reporting 28,826 cases with 932 people hospitalized on Tuesday.
Nationwide, almost 3.5 million people have contracted the virus and more than 136,000 have died.
Part of the problem in Missouri has been inconsistent messages. Many communities have implemented policies that require the use of masks in public spaces and where social distancing is not possible, and Governor Mike Parson encouraged people to do the same. But even Parson ran out of mask while making a series of public appearances over the weekend.
Drinkwitz isn’t so confused, he still plans to have the Tigers play their first game Sept. 5 against central Arkansas.
“I am frustrated with the fact that when people argue, why are we not willing to try?” he said. “My decision for me is a personal decision because of how it affects me personally. I can’t affect whether someone in Florida is going to wear a mask, but I can, as a means of change, I can help recommend here in Columbia that people wear a mask “
It is not just the football season that is at stake. Drinkwitz wants to be able to visit local restaurants and bars, meet fans, and attend the kind of events with reinforcements that are vital to running a successful program.
“I’m not sure what exactly the numbers should be or what they’re looking for and all of that. What I know and suggest is that the numbers in and around our community are increasing,” he said, “and I don’t know them all, But I like going to Shakespeare’s Pizza and some of the best places in Columbia, and I really don’t want to not be able to go to those places anymore. And in order for my wife to, we don’t have to go to school this fall, we have to wear masks. “
Drinkwitz’s edict appears to be working as the soccer team continues training out of season. The school has administered nearly 400 tests since early June with just 10 positive cases, none of which were connected to the Tigers facility.
Meanwhile, nearby Kansas and Kansas State schools have been forced to stop training after too many positive tests.
“Look at our numbers compared to everyone else,” said Drinkwitz. “I think our boys have heard the message. They have done their best to make sure they are doing their best. They can do everything right and still be exposed, but they don’t have to put themselves in an adverse situation. Now the trick is to keep going. doing it “.
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