Edward Rudman – Sports Writer
As the fall semester inches closer to ending, the possibility of sports having a spring competitive season is still up in the air depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic develops over the next months.
Collegiate athletic programs all over the country have dealt with the pandemic by implementing rules and regulations that promote social distancing in order to still remain active.
“In comparison to other schools in the area and elsewhere, I think we’ve done pretty well especially as far as being in a city like New Haven,” said marketing major Nick Thomas, a senior. “Other schools around us have started closing early and have also had higher positivity rates than we do.”
Athletics used a plan revolving around phases, similar to what states have been following when reopening over time, doing its best to deter the spread of COVID-19 and give its athletes the best chance they can get to have to train and possibly compete next spring.
For the majority of the scheduled time frame that permitted athletics to practice, the various Owls programs were able to train with only a few positive cases.
However, as a second wave of the virus begins to escalate and the number of positive cases rising, the potential of competitive seasons in the spring could be in jeopardy.
“I think the chances of having a spring season are slim, but I haven’t lost hope yet. Hopefully over the winter break, the school can come up with a good plan and be prepared for the challenge,” said business management major Tyler Zolkowski, a junior. “We’ve done a pretty good job so far this semester so I don’t think it’s out of the question.”
Fall practices are wrapping up for the semester, following a two week pause in training due to the rate of positive cases on campus rising. Training resumed once the threat of spreading the virus subsided.
Positive cases have begun to soar in the United States, with rates much higher than what was previously seen in the spring and summer during the beginning of the pandemic, yet students and athletes remain hopeful a competitive season will be able to take place.
“I’m pretty optimistic that we’ll be able to have a spring season. We managed the fall COVID practices pretty well, especially compared to other teams in the conference,” said member of the football team Nate Shilling, a junior. “Plus, Pfizer announced a vaccine and there’s plans for a four to six week lockdown soon to hopefully counteract the spread of the virus.”
Unfortunately, the ability to have a spring season competition will be out of the schools hands, as it will ultimately come down to the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and if the next impending outbreak can be controlled in time.
“The chances of a spring season happening as of right now are looking slim in my opinion,” said Thomas. “But, it’s still possible if we are more disciplined when it comes to the COVID guidelines and procedures.”
