Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated during his daily state address that camps and overnight camps can reopen on May 31.
In addition to camps, Gov. Abbott also said schools could offer summer school as early as June 1, as long as all social distancing guidelines are being followed.
This includes Boy Scouts, church camps and also 4-H camps. Gov. Abbott also announced pro golf, auto racing, professional football, baseball and basketball can also resume on May 31.
These two openings greatly impact high school student-athletes statewide.
First, many athletes were unable to complete their spring season. This crippled athletes' stats and possible scholarship opportunities statewide. Since football is king in Texas, many collegiate coaches prefer their prospects participate in other sports such as track, wrestling or baseball. Athletes were unable to to showcase their abilities and coaches across the country were unable to evaluate prospects out of their typical recruiting footprint.
UIL rules prohibit football coaches to mandate participation in track for their players. Yet head football coaches, often with one of their assistants working as the head track coach, make sure the message is heard loud and clear: playing a spring sport, preferably track, is desired by college coaches.
Thousands of prospective student-athletes ,missed the opportunity to better their chances and a collegiate scholarship with no verified track times this spring. No one will probably come out and say this publicly, but it's a known fact in those sports circles.
Second, the option of attending summer school in Texas will allow thousands of students to either replace current grades, get caught up or do enough work so that their able to graduate a semester or two early.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association waived the ACT requirements for Class of 2020 applicants. By waving the testing requirements, student-athletes who may have had to go to junior college due to academic requirements, go to a four-year institution of their choice.
Across the board, COVID-19 has disrupted the American education system. Whether it's student who are socially adept, student who struggle with learning or students with troubled home lives, the interruption of their education for months may possibly have a lasting effect on our youth for years to come.
The sooner we can get back to normality, the better we will be as a society. So restarting the American education system is what's best. The sooner students in inner cities and rural towns get back to their daily routine, then they can began to grow again as young people.
With Texas being one of the bigger states, I fully expect more states to follow the Texans in the coming weeks.