But
again, we saw this coming. In many ways, the MAAC was one of the later
conferences to attend the party. A large swath of D2 and D3 cross country has already
canceled. In D1, the Ivy League started the parade, and the ranks are swelling
by the week. Here in D1, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions currently do
not have many XC teams that will be active this fall. If this trend continues,
the entirety of collegiate sports could be shuttered. This is different than
March. March was a car accident – a sudden, fatal blow to … well, pretty much
everything about normal, everyday life, collegiate track included. This? More
like a slow, inexorable demise of a fall sports season. When we got wind of the
strong possibility this was happening, by way of a hastily convened WebEx on
Sunday night, and then eventually on Monday morning is a series of staff group
texts, there was an air of inevitability to it. For the past two weeks, it has
felt more like “when” rather than “if.” But still. When the official news
comes, when the idea of no cross country season becomes reality, it is a stark
feeling. It’s not a good feeling at all. Direct your emotions and your feelings
of concern toward the women and men on our cross country rosters, especially
the seniors and fifth-years who have been robbed forever the adrenaline rush of
the starting line at Vassar Farm, Paul Short, MAACs, NCAA Regionals and everything
in between. That really sucks. Feel for them. Mourn for them. If you know them
or were former teammates of them, reach out to them. Allow them to grieve.
Yes,
we have future seasons. Maybe indoor track (who knows?). Most likely outdoor
track (by that point, I strongly feel we’ll literally be back on track). Where
do we go from here? Can we practice? Can we lift? Can we go off campus to run? When
do we return? When do we need a Covid test? Should I come back for a fifth
year? Are we going to do time trials? Intrasquad scrimmages? Smaller training
groups? Wait, we can’t get on a track? We can’t go to New Paltz? In between
bouts on the phone charger, these were a small sampling (yes, there were many
more) of the questions rattling around the old Moto on numerous calls and texts
with our current team members. The calls and Zooms will continue. Today,
tomorrow, this week, next week, as long as necessary, until we reconvene on campus in a few weeks. There will be more
questions than answers. Still. That’s the deal in this Covid reality. We’ll
brainstorm with fellow coaches. Lobby with administrators for some semblance of
normalcy. But as we are reminded each and every day (to wit: Miami Marlins), this
damn virus makes the rules. We can try to change them, but we are at the mercy of
Covid … and, as important, our collective attitudes and behaviors toward Covid.
Where do we go from here? We’ll see. Unfortunately, we now know where we do NOT
go, in the coming weeks and months. And that is cross country season.
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