Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
By Shloka Gidwani ’22
On March 12, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the cancellation of all winter and spring championships, including Division I women’s and men’s 2020 March Madness basketball championships. In a statement released on their website, they said that they would be cancelling upcoming championships “because of the evolving COVID-19 public health threat.” The Association’s social media pages detail methods of ticket refunds for March Madness, one of the NCAA’s most popular championships.
The NCAA later released another statement concerning Division III institutions such as Mount Holyoke College. “Today, the Division III Administrative Committee provided flexibility for schools to assist students with travel, lodging and meals as a result of campus displacements,” the NCAA Division III Administrative Committee said in their statement on March 13. “The committee waived all requirements for sports sponsorship for the spring season. It also granted an additional season/semester of eligibility for student-athletes participating in spring sports.” The suspension also entails that varsity team training trips will be cancelled.
“I remember when it was confirmed that our spring training trip to Clemson, South Carolina was cancelled,” Mount Holyoke crew member Simran Kaur ’22 said. “The team was so understandably distraught to have to spend that week on campus instead. No more 50-60 degree sunshine weather, with water that sparkled as far as the eye could see. Little did we know, we would find out less than 24 hours later there was no more season and we would have to go home.”
The previous day, Mount Holyoke College’s Director of Athletics Lori Hendricks sent an email to the College’s athletics community, announcing the suspension of regular and championship seasons for varsity and club sports. This included spring and split season sports as well as nontraditional seasons for fall varsity teams.
“There is no question that we all want to compete for our respective sport championships,” Hendricks wrote in her email. “I thank all of your coaches and supporting personnel for their openness to consider different scenarios for how we could complete the spring seasons, especially for the seniors.”
Hendricks organized ceremonies passing out Lyon-themed blankets and “scholar athlete” pins and cords, usually given to senior student-athletes before they graduate. The senior student-athletes donned their Lyon-themed attire during the impromptu Laurel Parade held on March 12.
The suspension was effective on Saturday, March 14. All practices and games before this date were honored. The last game played was Lacrosse v. Smith College on Friday, March 13. It was an unscored game. Seniors of the Mount Holyoke and Smith lacrosse teams were honored at the game.
“Luckily, with the help of Lori Hendricks and the Smith College lacrosse team, we were able to give our seniors and our entire team a small bit of closure with one final game before the campus emptied,” Head Coach of Mount Holyoke Lacrosse Miriam Esber said. “While that doesn't give back the spring trip, conference games and all the memories lost, it did allow us time to absorb the end of our season.”
“The premature end to our season was disappointing to say the least, and my heart really goes out to our seniors who were robbed of their last seasons,” Mount Holyoke Basketball and Mount Holyoke Track and Field member Ireland Clare Kennedy ’21 said. “It has really made us all grateful for the times we’ve had and the bonds we make with our teammates.”
“Dean Hall and President Stephens were particularly patient, giving me and my colleagues time to think through the rapidly evolving data,” Hendricks concluded in her email. “In the end, we are connected to many and our decisions impact not only you, our department members, and sport officials, but also their families and communities.”
“Even with this season cancelled we have a lot of happy to look back on, and for most of us we have something to get after and stay hungry for our next seasons,” Kennedy said. “Although this was taken from us, we will never lose our teams. I’ve seen how much support MHC student-athletes give to one another, and this has only grown in light of COVID-19.”
Starting on April 3, The Athletics Department will send out six weekly newsletters to stay in touch with the Mount Holyoke Athletics community. The newsletters include a Message from Director Hendricks, an “Athletic Trainer Certified (ATC) Tip of the Week” by the Athletic Trainers, a “Senior Spotlight” to highlight senior student-athletes and a “Coach’s Corner” with recommendations from head coaches on how to stay fit while social distancing.
“We will all be changed by this forever,” Esber said. “Hopefully we can take something good from it, like supporting one another more, staying connected, practicing gratitude and appreciating the little things.”
“I am so grateful to go to a school where we were all so sad to leave,” Kaur said. “The rowing team is my family, and I have a feeling many other student athletes can say the same thing. Watching the global situation evolve, it may be sad that we can’t row together, but I am so relieved by the massive evacuation of campus.”