Samuel Casey
Editor in Chief
During my tenure at Wooster, I’ve had the pleasure of attending competitions for almost all varsity sports, and something that has always stood out to me was how close everyone was — like, physically close. Whether it was shoulder to shoulder on the sideline, packed in the dugout or congregating on the track waiting for their event to start, the players were always around each other. A thought that would have been strange at the time, yes, but one that is all too relevant now as games and events have been postponed due to the pandemic. However, the long wait may be over.
In a Feb. 23 update, Wooster’s athletic department released the schedule for nine spring sports, with competitions starting March 20 and tentatively continuing until the weekend of commencement. While safety is the biggest priority of the department, it is also a point of contention within the campus community since proper distancing and mask wearing are hard to achieve in competition. Prior to the release of the schedule, Athletic Director Amy Heasley Williams created a three-minute video, posted to Wooster’s social media accounts, to provide more comprehensive information about the health and safety protocols in place. One of the biggest restrictions is the prohibition of fans. “At this time, Wooster, like many of our NCAC peers, are not permitting spectators at our events,” Williams said in the video. “Wooster is committed to live streaming as many events as possible free of charge, and you’re able to watch on-demand if you can’t catch the live game.” She emphasized that the season must remain flexible to the changing health situations and Wooster, and the areas of opponents. “Athletic administrators from each institution are in regular contact,” Williams stated. “We know things could change and we’re proceeding with caution.” Other practices include spreading out benches for basketball games, designating places in the bleachers for swimmers and divers and holding men’s and women’s track and field meets separately. Student athletes get their temperature checked when entering the Scot Center and “teams are committed to rigorous masking when not engaged in cardiovascular activity,” according to Williams. Frequent testing is also required under the extensive NCAA Sport Science Institute recommendations and vary based on sport.
An article published Feb. 5 in the Voice highlighted the optimism of coaches and players in being able to participate while prioritizing safety, but some student athletes are more hesitant. “It’s exciting to think that I may be able to compete one last time, but honestly, I’m doubtful,” tennis player Laura Haley ’21 said. “I’m not sure if our positive health circumstances will last long enough for us to reach any competition.”
This sentiment is also shared by non-athletes, some of whom believe the administration is more lax on rules surrounding athletics. Isaac Schwartz ’23 brought up these concerns with the Board of Trustees at a meeting for students on Feb. 24. “Athletes and non-athletes are being treated completely differently by the College,” Schwartz said. “The activities that athletic teams are participating in are endangering the safety of every student on campus and putting us at risk of being forced to go completely remote again.” He noted the hypocrisy of letting athletes be in close contact while students cannot have more than one guest in any type of residence. At the beginning of the school year, the administration declared that the biggest sources of contagion involve eating in closed spaces and large gatherings, not athletic practices. Regardless, Schwartz, who participates in club and recreational sports, wanted fair treatment. “I don’t care if the rules for sports teams become stricter, or if the rules for non-athletes are made looser; I just want the rules to treat all students equally,” he said.
