INSIDE THE HBCU SPORTS CLUB

INTRODUCTION.

COVID-19 has been a subject of scrutiny not only in the united states but in the world. The work is an analysis of how the pandemic has affected highschool students in Texas. The students in question are athletes that have tested positive of COVID-I9. The Superintendent has released a statement on how some the student athletes have shown symptoms of the disease within and without the campus. The management involved is trying its best to manage the situation and protect all the students involved. There are four different speakers in the booth all talking about sports, athletes, awards and the alumnis of the whole state which is Texas. The Athletes of Jackson State and HBCU seem to stand out in the candid discussion.

THE BIG QUESTIONS;WHO HAS THE ANSWERS?

Dr. Cavil, Charles, Mike and John held the show to talk about sports updates, featured updates,news, interviews and academic reports connected to athletes and HBCU sports. They all seem to be experts that update us on the fields where they are distinguished. They seem to be critisizing the management of the teams during the COVID-19 period. Four games were set to feature historically black colleges are cancelled and positive tests spread to many major university programs as players return. The games had been set to take place for the first part of the fall season but the virus seems to have spread to even major confrence institutions. There were hopes that the football season would not be affected but experts have advised it as the spread of the virus is likely to be complicated by the coming flu season.

The National Collegiate Athlete Association’s Division 1 warned against the games and in the discussion one of the parties is suggesting a change in the legistlature to make the rules flexible for the HBCU during trying times. There had been some protests during the last few months from the athletes demanding solutions. The football League seems to have suspended all sports through the end of spring 2020.

They see that the continuation of the sports season very risky for everyone involved. Various solutions had been proposed but there is no way to prove if someone contracted the virus in the arena or outside. The association, the league and the management parties involved say that they are likely to be served with lawsuits if the student athletes contacted the virus during HBCU activities. The first student athlete to test positive for the virus has come foward with the claim that he contracted COVID 19 in the arena and regardless of the expected lawsuit for such exposure, there is no way to prove it. Students and faculty claiming that they got the virus in the job are expected to prove their claims.

COVID 19 has affected Black Americans that depend on scholarships and sports for their survival. The virus has truly left a dent not only in HBCU football but also in tennis and the women’s football leagues.Mike talks abou how this whole pandemic is not as temporary as the league had predicted. How is the HBCU equiped to survive a more permanent situation, there are fears that some HBCU colleges have to cut sports such as tennis and even baseball from the programmes that cannot survive the pandemic. The HBCU’s are calling for government intervention to make sure that the health of all the athletes including the ones being recruited.

There are different opinions and some are of the opinion that the pandemic is being used as an excuse to cut certain programmes that are considered to be of a lesser value compared to football. The golf programme is apparently not as expensive as other programmes but is somehow about to get budget cuts. In the show viewers and listeners get to air their opinions and they think the HBCU can do better and that they are not as financially crippled as they claim. The different perspectives are on the sports that should get the budget cuts and those that should be spared. The sports are under review on which should get the chop, under review are sports such as volleyball, softball,golf and even track.

Three out of five states that host the HBCU sports seem to have faced budget cuts, some schools in the south have already cut its track and field programs. “Was there not sufficient momentum built to sustain a viable track and field program to sustain a viable track and field program for atleast a couple of generetions?” Is the question on everyones mind. Is there malice involved in the budget cuts and are they targetting certain HBCU’s . It is suspicious that such a big institution falls short when there have been season after season of all these sports activity year after year.

The recruitment process seems to be under scrutiny, a programme that many aspiring athletes benefit directly from alot of big dreamers let down here. There have been opinions to drop athletes , redudant equipment and staff before they drop a certain category of sport.

CONCLUSION

The HBCU’s are where a large number of students from the black community go for their college education. Most of those students are not in good financial situations as a large number of them receive scholarship rides through the very vas ability to play good ball. Sports programmes are set so that this aspiring athletes can help not only themselves but the community the go back to after their college experience comes to a halt.

The sports programme being so centre in these HBCU’S, the budgets should be managed and enough resources saved for rainy days such as the pandemic that hit earlier this year. The conclusion on whether the games will go on or not has not yet been determined and this has brought alot of unrest among its direct and indirect beneficiaries. The HBCU’s should find a way to maintain the sports teams that have the most beneficiaries while finding a way to compensate those who are at a loss. It is a tough time for everyone and this too shall pass.