London, ON - Despite fall sports championships being shut down due to the ongoing pandemic, Western remains committed to its student athletes and the important role sport will play.
University sport schedules, including regular- and post-season games, have been canceled for the fall term due to concerns about the health and safety of student athletes, coaches, administrators, officials, and fans during the ongoing pandemic,
U SPORTS and
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) announced today.
The move pauses competition until the start of the new calendar year.
"While this news is a disappointment for Western and our Mustang community, we support the decision in light of the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has presented," said Christine Stapleton, Director, Sports & Recreation. "We recognize travel between schools is uncertain at this time, and ensuring the safety of our campus community remains Western's top priority."
U SPORTS, the national governing body of university sport in Canada, worked with provincial governing bodies on the decision. Along with the OUA's announcement, similar action has been taken by Canada West and Atlantic University Sport, both of which announced the cancellation of their respective first-term sport schedules. A decision from the Quebec Student Sports Federation (RSEQ) is expected in the near future.
Despite the cancellations, Western coaches are preparing for Western's blended academic fall semester, which will include regular training sessions and exhibition games, where permitted.
All scholarship commitments to student athletes will be honoured.
"It is important to recognize the role sports plays at Western – it is the tradition and spirit at the core of our university. Sports will play a pivotal role in our post-COVID recovery plans," Stapleton said.
Sports competition is only one small piece of what Western offers to its students. Sports training and preparation continues, and the university will offer a wide range of activities to support students and student athletes, including:
- Virtual support from coaches to maintain high-quality athletic training adjusted to meet the constraints of physical distancing;
- Care for, and investment in, student athletes to ensure their overall wellbeing;
- Live webinars for all students;
- Open tryouts for all students when permitted;
- Strength and conditioning sessions;
- Mustangs Digital Series with live fitness classes, video personal training sessions, video massage therapy exercises, live video chats with coaches, and articles about new recruits and award winners.
U SPORTS and OUA officials have said no decisions on competitions have been made beyond the fall term.
Western Sports & Recreation has a robust return-to-play plan that will inform coaches and student athletes on how and when they can safely train and compete on campus and in-person.
"Western is a tight-knit community fueled by the pride that comes with the Mustangs identity, and we look forward to the day when we can come together to compete again," Stapleton said.
Western Sports & Recreation have attempted to answer a number of expected questions on our
Fall Sports FAQ page.
For additional information you can visit:
U SPORTS website
OUA website &
FAQ
Western News
Media
