My latest email from a few days ago might have rubbed some people the wrong way, but the point was, I have been able to predict the future with very strong accuracy ever since I started writing my book, Wrestling in the Coronavirus World(which I finished in March).
Recently, someone asked me the question on everyone’s mind: What’s your prediction on the 20/21 wrestling season?
My answer:
First, all schools will end up moving to remote learning through the rest of 2020 (if not from Day One, soon after). All sports will be postponed until January 2021.
There’s a possibility – make that, a probability – of another major shutdown.
IF we get the virus under control, we could see scholastic wrestling starting in January 2021. Its a big IF though.
I”m not convinced the shutdown will work. The virus is here and it is determined to stay.
I personally despite the lockdowns, and because some of the elements are based in zero science (Michigan, we're looking at you), and amount to a seizing of power, leading to government overreach in many ways, people have been fighting the restrictions. That trend will continue.
Example in point: There is no scientific reason to require wearing a mask outside when no one is around.
As a result of the mess left behind, we are likely to still be dealing with this in 2021.
The biggest concern right now:
This virus has mutations (as I also mentioned in my book would happen), and now kids are getting sick a lot more often. That’s why I think schools will end up all remote.
Finally, this dire hope-I'm-wrong-but probably-not-prediction:
Schools, state and local governments, and colleges have a huge financial issue on their hands.
Many colleges will fold (some will shock people).
Colleges will continue to drop sports.
On the big stage, if football doesn’t happen – the other sports won’t (since football revenue funds the other sports).
The end result being: any program that isn’t self-funded – able to pay for everything themselves, is at risk of getting canned. Penn State is probably the safest school in the country due to their endowment program.
-Randy
PS: Regarding privately owned training, tournaments, etc. I was deeply critical of trainers that I mentioned in my book – people who don’t take safety into consideration and are reckless. Personally, I’d rather put the kids’ safety first – hence our very strict health protocols for the recent SuperGroup trainings that we concluded. I address this in my book as well, especially in Chapter 4: The Danger Zones of Wrestling.
