There are any number of things that will require fixing in 2021.

I know that much will depend on the status of COVID-19 — and what variations of the disease are coming down the road.

One of the many things that need fixing is the status of high school sports in Michigan.

I believe that prep sports shouldn’t have been halted as early and often as they have been.

The main reason for that reasoning is that many surrounding states (Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa) have proceeded with sports for youngsters in this time.

And in only a few cases has the threat of COVID even come up in those states.

But not having prep sports going right now is harmful.

Athletes in basketball and hockey should be in the early stages of their seasons. There should be talk of conference races and looking ahead to the tournaments.

Instead, we have kids who have already missed a lot of time and are getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of activity.

Of course, the schedule changes made necessary by the pandemic have had an effect.

For instance, the trips routinely made by downstate hockey teams have been canceled. That used to be a key part of the season for many local schools who used the games as much-needed prep time for the postseason.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association also has to be making contingency changes in the schedules for the sports ahead (track, softball, etc.)

The colleges tentatively plan to get going in January with basketball, volleyball and other sports.

But with the exception of a few Michigan Tech hockey games, there has been zero activity on our campuses.

Of course, the professional sports will continue to go on. The National Football League, with the most to lose financially, will motor on. There’s no stopping the almighty dollar.

But other sports may not be as fortunate. The NBA and NHL may have to resort to using the “bubbles” that were pretty darn effective for the playoffs.

It’s a sad situation, to say the least, as we navigate a most unusual year.