Let the games begin
If conducted in a smart and safe manner, the existence of athletic competition at W&L is a priority.
March 19, 2021
When President Dudley announced Washington and Lee University’s plan for a staggered return to campus, winter sport athletes were among the first students to arrive in Lexington. The atmosphere surrounding sports was still a bit eerie, because in a moment’s notice, the plan for athletics in the winter term could be instantaneously altered. However, as athletes returned, they were given a glimmer of hope that a real season was a possibility.
Throughout the fall semester, athletics were put on pause. The campus and its students were learning to adapt to new restrictions and make sense of life in college during a pandemic. It made complete sense that the university would not allow for athletics to continue normally.
But students quickly grew tired of this. With little to do and few opportunities to blow off steam, they craved any sense of normalcy.
Student athletes in particular had a completely different fall semester than they had experienced in the past. The weight room was closed, so they were forced to do their lifts outside. Practices had to abide by social distancing measures. There were limited opportunities for teams to gather and bond. Their mental health suffered.
The one thing that kept athletes grounded was yanked away from them. They were forced to endure the stress of college life with-out the one thing that, in typical years, would have alleviated that stress. As a member of the women’s basketball team, this strug-gle was very real for myself and my teammates.
However, things have been dif-ferent thus far this semester. Several athletic teams — including men and women’s basketball, swimming, and wrestling — have all been able to compete. This competition brings newfound excitement and a sense of camaraderie that was lacking during the fall semester. Athletes have rediscovered their purpose: focusing on performing the best they can, even if their seasons are limited.
The university ensured that this return to competition was conducted in a very safe manner. Fans are still not permitted to attend games; instead, the games are streamed over video services for families and students to watch at their leisure. The school also increased testing for athletes. Members of teams that are actively competing must be tested three times a week.
The university ensured that this return to competition was conducted in a very safe manner. Fans are still not permitted to attend games; instead, the games are streamed over video services for families and students to watch at their leisure. The school also increased testing for athletes. Members of teams that are actively competing must be tested three times a week.
Individual teams have implemented further guidelines to ensure the safety of competition — including restrictions from dining at restaurants and extra mask-wearing around housemates. These are all conditions implemented and chosen by the athletes themselves. These additional policies are a reflection of how committed athletes are to their seasons and the overall safety of the community. Some people may argue that athletic competition is dangerous and unnecessary. However, I would argue that, if conducted in a smart and safe manner, the existence of athletic competition is a priority.
Although students are not currently able to pack the stadium bleachers to cheer on their peers, they are still awarded the opportunity to cheer them on from home. Athletes are no longer stripped of the small sense of normalcy, and coaches are finally able to get back to their jobs.
For many seniors, this is their camaraderie that Washington and Lee prides itself on. Without sports, there isn’t an opportunity to boast the generals crest or stand proudly as the national anthem plays. Without sports, there isn’t the opportunity for student athletes to dedicate themselves to something bigger, something that symbolizes the community at large.
To put it simply, without sports, there is a void that nothing can fill or replace.
