University of Victoria athletic director Clint Hamilton described it as a 鈥渉eartbreaking decision鈥� to silence the fields this fall.
The sa国际传媒 West conference and U Sports nationally announced Monday the cancellations of all fall-term sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They include men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 soccer, women鈥檚 field hockey, women鈥檚 rugby 15鈥檚 and football and join a long list of sports cancellations locally, nationally and internationally.
鈥淚 was an athlete and coach myself and never anticipated anything like this,鈥� said Hamilton, who is also president of sa国际传媒 West.
鈥淏ut we strongly felt there was no way to ensure the health and safety of the athletes in the fall season.鈥�
It has been announced that UVic students, and those in other Canadian universities, will be studying online in the fall. That made a decision on fall sports imperative, said Hamilton.
鈥淭he student-athletes and their families needed to know now to make plans [on whether fall student-athletes needed to be on campus to play],鈥� he said.
鈥淲e were under increasing pressure to answer the question about what the fall season was going to look like for university sports. The outcome was clearly evident.鈥�
Hamilton said he knows some are questioning why pro sports can go ahead, albeit without fans in the stands, while amateur sports suffer cancellations.
鈥淪port is so important to society,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he NBA, NHL and NFL have colossal resources to make a return to play possible over the summer and fall. Canadian university sport is not remotely close to having those kinds of resources to make that a reality.鈥�
Decisions will be made by July 15 on sa国际传媒 West and U Sports fall championships in golf, cross country and swimming. The two-term team sports 鈥� basketball, volleyball and ice hockey 鈥� cannot start prior to Jan. 1, 2021, with a decision to be made Oct. 8. The decision on second-term competitions in rugby sevens, wrestling, track and field and curling will also be made on Oct. 8.
鈥淲e are hopeful about returning for those [winter-into-spring] sports but only time will tell,鈥� said Hamilton.
鈥淗ealth will be the primary driver of the decision.鈥�
Student-athletes in sports without U Sports national championships this season will not lose eligibility and will remain eligible for athletic financial aid and scholarships.
UVic field hockey coach Lynne Beecroft, women鈥檚 soccer coach Tracy David and men鈥檚 soccer coach Bruce Wilson have played in the Olympics and World Cups and have nearly 100 combined seasons of coaching at UVic between them. But none of them have experienced anything like this.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been emotional. We were going for the national-championship three-peat,鈥� said Beecroft.
鈥淏ut everything for me is about safety. It鈥檚 the right decision, but still a tough one. Hopefully, we come back stronger next year.鈥�
The UVic soccer teams are targeting an exhibition season after Jan. 1.
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen anything like this,鈥� said David.
鈥淲e will do whatever we are allowed to do and are hoping for a season of some sort against other sa国际传媒 teams after January 1,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 disappointing to lose the conference season, but sa国际传媒 West administrators made the decision with the information they currently have at hand. I don鈥檛 see that they had any other choice at this point.鈥�
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