How are all of you parents out there dealing with spring sports?
Every candidate, along with their families, deals with this situation through their own lens. There aren't any definitive answers that will "guarantee" their safety regardless if they participate in spring sports or not.
I understand the position on "reducing the odds", bubble wrapping and taking every sensible precaution but I also understand a young athlete wanting to be part of something he/she feels passionate about particularly if being part of, or captain of, a team going for a conference or state championship that they don't want to miss for the world.
In the interest of full transparency, and those veterans of this forum already know this story so I'll try to be short; my DS had received an early appointment back in the day, captain of the lacrosse team, going for a championship, wouldn't consider not playing, we were supportive, yet concerned, he pulled up lame with a stress fracture in said game, medically DQ'd just weeks before I-Day. Waited a year before going to USNA. That was four years ago and he has no regrets about his decision to this day ("I could have done that just jogging").
It all worked out in the end and we're grateful it did but each decision is a personal one predicated on any number of things. They're aren't guarantees on way or another and all we can hope for is the best. I'm not sure this helped you at all but just sharing one story in the hopes that it might.
of course this is a couch but picture it the bleechers.. LOL
