Juwan Howard Voices Support For Michigan's High School Athletes

In the midst of a 14-day shutdown for his basketball program, Juwan Howard issued a statement voicing his support For Michigan's high school athletes

Michigan men’s basketball head coach Juwan Howard took to twitter on Monday afternoon to share his thoughts on the continued shutdown of high school sports within the state.

Though some restrictions are now lifted, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has recommended that high school sports remain paused in a continued effort to battle COVID-19. According to a statement released by MDHHS, the state is still suffering from outbreaks among athletic teams - posing a risk to the communities in which those teams compete.

"In Michigan, there were 42 outbreaks associated with athletics (K-12 schools, professional, collegiate, and commercial venues) in August and September of 2020 before restrictions on contact sports were implemented, and MDHHS and local health departments are still identifying outbreaks on teams that are currently playing. Outbreaks of this magnitude have the potential to affect not just a sports team, but the community in which the players and coaches reside as well."

“Sports that require frequent closeness between players make it more difficult to prevent disease transmission, compared to sports where players are not as close to each other. The risk of COVID-19 transmission is increased by the number of individuals a player physically interacts with, as well as the intensity and duration of that interaction. The arrival of the new B.1.1.1.7 variant also means even more caution must be taken so we avoid the rapid rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths that other countries that have seen this variant have experienced."

Though most teams can continue to practice, contact competition will remain paused until at least Feb. 21. The news is obviously disappointing to high school athletes all across the state of Michigan who remain uncertain about their athletic future, particularly high school seniors - which prompted Juwan Howard to issue a statement.

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— Juwan Howard (@JuwanHoward) February 1, 2021

In addition to the pause on all high school athletics within the state, the Michigan Basketball program is also in the midst of a 14-day pause in activities due to a COVID-19 variant within the university community.  The 14-day pause in all University of Michigan athletic activities is tentatively set to end on Feb. 7, 2021.