Is this a risk that’s worth taking?

You’re taking a risk.

Reports about how well the rules regarding the coronavirus pandemic were followed by fans and athletes at Tuesday’s season-opening Jay County High School volleyball match were not encouraging.

Mask wearing was sparse. Social distancing, in some cases, was non-existent.

We’d ask those who were not following the rules that night or who are thinking about not following them in the future to think about the risk they’re taking.

Certainly, not following the rules creates a greater risk of infection. (Just look at the ever-rising rates in adjacent Adams and Mercer counties.) But that’s not the risk we’re talking about today.

Rather, we’re talking about the risk of losing the opportunity to attend, or even to hold, the athletic events that are such a large part of our lives.

The State of Indiana, IHSAA and Jay School Corporation have all put out rules for these athletic events. They are designed to allow high school sports to continue — remember, many college conferences have shut down or delayed fall sports — while also keeping athletes and fans as safe as possible.

There is no question that if rules are not being followed, the school corporation, the IHSAA or even the state could take action. They could eliminate fan attendance. They could eliminate sports altogether.

It’s safe to say, that’s an outcome no one wants.

This is not just speculation.

We’ve already seen it in Delaware County, where Delta high school and middle school students were sent home for two weeks and the football program was temporarily shut down.

We’ve already seen it in Adams County, where Bellmont announced no fans would be allowed in attendance. It later postponed the start of athletics until the end of the month.

The rules are as follows:

•Athletes who are not participating must wear masks.

•Spectators at indoor events must wear masks.

•At outdoor events, masks are required if 6 feet of social distance cannot be maintained.

You may not be concerned about COVID-19. You may not think it’s a big deal. You may question the effectiveness of masks.

None of that really matters in this case.

By not following the rules, you’re risking the possibility of fan attendance, or even athletics themselves, being eliminated.

Think about that.

Is it worth the risk? — R.C.