Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

It is something I never imagined would happen in my lifetime.

Having to live in a world without sports to distract me from the day-to-day grind. Sports have always been a great escape for me if I had a particularly long day.

But in these extraordinary times, we are now living in, sports will have to be put on the back burner while we try to slow down the spread of COVID-19. There is no arguing this decision. It had to be made, and it had to be made quickly.

But that does not make it any easier for those who love sports. From the athletes that play them to the fans that watch them to the workers who count on them for a paycheck, these are going to be the times that try our souls.

For those of us who watch sports, or listen to them on the radio just for the enjoyment, it will be tough. I love to yell at the television over a bad call. I love questioning a play-call. Because I really do not follow one particular team, I live for those great moments in sports — a spectacular catch, a great run or an outstanding defensive play.

For at least the time being, that enjoyment will be missing in my life as I worry about getting sick. I worry about my family and friends getting sick. There really is no distraction for me at this time.

As you all know, I love high school sports, so when they were suspended, it hurt. I understood that it needed to be done for everyone’s safety, but that did not make it hurt any less. It also gave me concern because my job is to cover sports. So what do I do now?

Instead of worrying about the lack of sports, it is time to seize this opportunity to get to some stories that we might have missed. Stories that need to be told. So I am going to ask for your help.

Please send your story ideas to my email address below. Please make sure you provide contact information for those individuals in the story.

Life as we know it has changed dramatically in the past few days, but life still goes on and there are stories out there to tell, both in the sporting world, and on the news side. We look forward to bringing you those stories.

Hopefully our continued coverage will keep you informed when needed and entertained as well.

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com.