PALOS VERDES, Calif. — Tuesday was an eerily quiet afternoon in the McCoy household.

Horace and Shelby McCoy sat silent with their eyes glued to the television, watching as the Pac-12 announced that there would be no fall sports played this year.

What You Need To Know

  • The Pac-12 and Big-10 conferences announced this week that they were postponing their fall sports seasons

  • CIF made a similar decision last month, pushing all sports competitions until at least January

  • These decisions directly affect the McCoys, whose daughter Ava plays high school volleyball and son Bru, plays college football

  • The McCoy's say they've had to separate their place as fans and parents, putting safety first

“It’s unbelievable that it could even get to this point," Horace said.

During what's usually a busy time for the parents of three — filled with early morning practices and evening games — this fall will be the first time none of their children will be taking the field or the court.

After all, the McCoy's are the epitome of a sports family.

“For both Shelby and I sports have played a big role," Horace said. "We both played throughout high school and were scholarship athletes in college.”  

Their children Alexa, Bru, and Ava followed in their footsteps, playing high school volleyball and college football.

Not only have sports provided them opportunity, but they've been paramount to their school experiences.

“Sport is their outlet and their passion," Shelby explained. "It’s the means for them to play at the next level and what they love.”  

But this year sports have created more questions than answers for the entire family, with Shelby and Horace questioning if they should be played at all.  

“You have to separate yourself, you’re either a fan or a parent and we’re parents first," Horace began.

“We want our kids to play, but only if it’s safe, and if that means a postponement of the season, it means a postponement of the season," Shelby continued.

This week, that is exactly what has happened. Neither Ava, nor Bru will compete this fall with their college and high school sports both postponed until at least January.  

Although shocking, the decision has not been entirely surprising for the McCoy's.

In March, when their son Bru returned from USC and hoped to continue his training from home, there were questions as to whether or not it was the right thing to do.

“Initially we had asked him not to, to quarantine at the house," Horace said. "We didn’t want him going to a gym or a training facility and possibly bringing Covid back to the house. It was definitely a concern.”

It's still a concern even today with Bru back on campus, the pandemic completely changing their family dynamic.

“When he comes over he knows we don’t hug, we don’t kiss, we just say hello, put our masks on and sit six feet apart," Shelby said.

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It's a sacrifice they make because although they're not sure right now is the time for sports to return, they know how important practicing and training is to their kids.

Yes, playing sports like football may always be a risk.

“Football is a risky sport," Horace said. "It has an inherent risk.”

That risk has been heightened by the ongoing pandemic.

“As a player, just like Bru, he wants to play, I would want to play," Horace said. "But as a parent I’m here to advise him of this additional risk that he could possibly be taking on.”

A risk that continues to beg the question "to play or not to play?"