To Our GLVC Student-Athletes:
Over the past week, you have seen a number of formal statements from the Conference office. You have seen the suspension of all activities related to intercollegiate athletics. You have seen the cancellation of the remaining GLVC Championships. You have seen the NCAA and several professional sports leagues take similar action. You have seen states within the GLVC footprint take unprecedented steps to close or restrict government facilities and public places, such as schools, restaurants, malls, and movie theaters.
But perhaps one thing you haven't seen yet is an apology.
Now, as you know, the entire country is facing unprecedented challenges with the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of individuals will be impacted by the disease - even if they never test positive for the virus - because of decisions that need to be made and the impact it will have on their lives.
There is no doubt student-athletes across the GLVC will feel the disappointment that comes along with the suspension of their season or the cancellation of our championships.
And for that, we are sorry.
Every single decision we make is focused on what is best for you. The decision we made this past Friday was in the best interest of not only our student-athletes, but our coaches, administrators, support staff, and spectators.
We had to take the necessary precautions to limit interaction that could potentially lead to more coronavirus cases, thus putting an additional strain on our healthcare system to effectively treat those who are sick.
Please know I have great empathy for you and your families impacted by our decision.
My son played collegiate baseball and graduated last year. If this would have happened to him, he and our entire family would have been crushed by this news. I cannot begin to express how sorry I am, but the league had no other choice than to make this difficult decision for the greater good of all involved.
So why did we cancel the remaining GLVC Championships and not go as far as to cancel the regular season? Our presidents and chancellors discussed that very question this past Friday. Quite simply, there were several logistical concerns that were going to make it impossible to administer a league championship, especially with the majority of member institutions moving to virtual learning environments.
The reason we set a date to review the national and global landscape regarding the coronavirus pandemic was allowing for the off-chance to return to normalcy this year, albeit in competition or activities off the field, such as practices or strength and conditioning. Many student-athletes perform better academically while they are within the structure provided by participation in athletically-related activities. That continued participation provides the opportunity for student-athletes to continue to learn life skills that supplement and enhance the education they receive in the classroom.
We have tremendous respect for all of our student-athletes and the commitment you make to your sport and academic course of study. You have an innate ability to cope with adversity and be a positive role model for others. I hope you are able to tap into those special qualities to help you respond to this unfortunate and unprecedented situation.
Our response does not stop with this letter.
We pride ourselves on the strength and resiliency of our GLVC Family, and have stressed over the last two years the importance of being Someone to Listen.
Now it is our turn.
We encourage our GLVC student-athletes to share their thoughts with us. We want to hear from you about what you are feeling and how your life has changed - or continues to change - with this decision. We have created a brief questionnaire that we hope you will fill out to share your feelings with us. Our hope is that your words can help others through these challenging times, and perhaps help you as well.
We also want to continue celebrating your academic success. Beginning Monday, March 23, the Conference office will be replacing its Player of the Week award with a Student-Athlete of the Week award for all spring sports. Regardless if you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, we want to hear about your major and how you intend to use your degree to pursue a career after graduation.
We know that we won't be able to replace your lost memories and experiences over the remainder of the season, but please know how much you are valued by the GLVC, our administrators, head coaches, and fans.
You are the reason why we do this.
Sincerely,
Jim Naumovich
GLVC Commissioner
Please click on the links below to be considered for these new initiatives.
Someone To Listen (Share Your Story)
Student-Athlete of the Week