No problem with social issues with athletes. Just keep it contained with the kid who competes. The coach, his wife, his friends are not comics for this venue.
I am 75 years old and have been reading Gil Thorp from the beginning. I think it is a mistake to bring serious social issues into comics. I miss following the teams win and lose. Every now and then featuring issues with players is fine but this stuff I simply don’t read comics for this reason.
No problem with social issues with athletes. Just keep it contained with the kid who competes. The coach, his wife, his friends are not comics for this venue.