We interview Dr. William Roberts (MD, MS), distinguished Vice-Chair of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and director of the department Program in Sports Medicine. We discuss the unique challenges COVID presents in youth sports, especially those popular in the region, associated outbreaks at sporting events, the uncertainty caused by variants for masking recommendations. He also gives insight as to the nuts and bolts of the advisory and policy process, sport-by-sport masking requirements and the tension between safety considerations and political/community pressures in Minnesota.