Area college men’s and women’s winter sports teams are awaiting a decision from the MAC on whether there will be a season or not.
Times Leader file photo
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
It has been 263 days – or eight months and 17 days – since any local college has held an athletic event.
The number is only climbing now, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Winter sports are set to begin when the calender shifts to 2021, but any optimism that was there a few weeks ago is fading more and more each day.
“At this point, it’s still up in the air whether the Middle Athletic Conference will play winter sports,” Wilkes men’s basketball coach Izzi Metz said. “We are hoping for a conference only season possibly starting at the end of January.”
Optimism seemed very high a few weeks ago, but the most recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the country is definitely cause for concern.
Other Division III conferences in the New England have already cancelled fall sports on top of the Division I Ivy League canceling winter competition.
“It’s been tough living in limbo about having a season,” King’s women’s basketball coach Caitlin Hadzimichalis said. “But I totally understand the need to wait to make a decision based on all of the variables.”
Throughout the fall semester, teams were still able to practice but with many rules put in place to prioritize safety.
“We were able to workout in small groups or pods starting Oct. 1. Every few weeks we were able progress to another phase with regards to COVID,” Metz said. “For the last three and a half weeks of the semester, we were able to bring the entire team together and do some skill development along with some light scrimmaging.”
While this previous semester was far from a normal one, teams were able to take advantage of everything they were able to do.
“Up until we went virtual a few weeks ago, we were practicing three days a week, and lifting three days a week. We had to wear masks for the entirety of the workouts and had to keep six feet apart,” Hadzimichalis said. “We were able to get a lot of work in on skills that we normally don’t get to focus on as much when rushing to get prepared for a game.
“That was one positive to come from the situation.”
With the semester almost wrapped up, students will not return to campus until the spring semester begins, barring any other changes. Athletes for winter sports are set to return after the new year if they are to have winter sports seasons.
“We have communicated to our players that we must be prepared to play a season and deal with the protocols and testing that goes along with it,” Metz said. “If for some reason there isn’t a season, we will be prepared to handle that scenario and use the spring semester to continue to improve individually and collectively.”
The MAC still has not made a decision, but coaches around the conference are expecting a decision within the next couple of weeks.
“I’m holding out hope for a season, but I realize that safety needs to come first,” Hadzimichalis said. “Personally, it’s tough to be optimistic because not a lot has changed since the fall seasons were canceled.”