Medicine Hat College Rattlers women's basketball player Rhiannon Ware lays in two points against the Lethbridge Kodiaks during the 2019 college basketball season. The ACAC has cancelled all sports for the fall semester due to the pandemic--NEWS FILE PHOTO
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@mocranker
College athletes were dealt bad news this past week.
The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference announced the cancellation of the fall 2020 sport season on Friday, but it has plans for all sports to be played eventually.
Golf, soccer and cross-country usually happen in the fall, but are now set to begin in April 2021. Students will not need to be spring students to participate in these sports. They do need to meet and maintain requirements for eligibility in the 2021 winter semester.
All two-semester and single-semester ACAC winter sports will be scheduled for completion in the winter of next year, commencing Jan. 2021.
Medicine Hat College athletics events supervisor Patrick Sharp says news of the cancellation was not much of a surprise.
“With everything that’s gone on in Canada, I think everyone has been looking at fall sports with caution,” he said. “I think the ACAC was trying to hold off and buy time to make a decision, but with no students on campus it’s probably in the best interest of everyone to just hold off.
“After those four months we can see where we’re at and go from there.”
While it is tough news for athletes to swallow, Sharp says there are some positives to be found in the new format.
“I know people are disappointed, but this can make for a positive season,” he said. “Basketball and volleyball are going to play fewer games, but it means every game is going to matter twice as much.
“Seeing soccer and golf in the spring could be really nice. The weather is going to be great. It’s something new and a chance to try something different.”
Medicine Hat College has between 110-120 student athletes and Sharp is hoping they will be able to start training as teams in the first semester to prepare for the winter and spring season.
“Even if it’s just in small groups, getting ready for January is going to be important,” he said.
