Monday was a day interim Regina Rams Head Coach Mark McConkey was hoping would not happen, but he was not surprised when word came down from Canada West that the 2020 football season was being cancelled due to COVID-19.
“It’s very disappointing. You sort of knew in the back of your mind what might happen, but you try to stay optimistic with the other coaches, the staff and of most importantly the players.” McConkey said. “I can’t imagine what our guys are going through. I am disappointed and the coaches are disappointed so for those student-athletes to have a year taken away from them is tough. There are so many questions that need to be answered.”
During an appearance on 620 CKRM’s Sportscage, U of R director of sport, Lisa Robertson, says as tough a move as this was, it was one that member schools decided simply needed to be done.
“We put together a Canada West Covid task force that had medical officials and several of our athletic directors on it. They put up a comprehensive report about the feasibility of a complete season for our fall sports.” Robertson said. “There was not a sense it would be feasible to safely deliver all the fall sports being offered so the tough decision was made.”
Robertson understands the COVID-19 picture is good in Saskatchewan, but says when the conference is made up of schools in four provinces, you have to align with all four provincial guidelines and with member schools committed to on-line courses this September, it wouldn’t be fair to student-athletes.
“With many schools not committed to students being back on campus, it means that the students who come to the respective universities from wherever that they had a fair shot and that we didn’t hamstring them financially hence the announcement today.” Robertson said. “We also have no idea about inter-provincial travel and other things so there were lots of complexities to this besides what the number of COVID cases are.
McConkey, who was entering his first year as the head coach of the team having replaced Steve Bryce on an interim basis, says this will make for some interesting moments for the Rams, but he says there are five other teams in the same boat as them. He says his focus now is to keep everyone engaged to do what they can when it comes time to get on the field again.
“My number one concern is the 90-100 guys in the room. I’m a players coach and everything I do is centred towards them.” McConkey explained. “There are some guys who are going to want to continue with their academics while others will want to take a year off. We have to keep them engaged by maybe having some fall practices or maybe getting together with the U of S and the U of M for a spring jamboree where we get together maybe in April just to keep guys focussed.
While the decision affects the Rams and the women’s soccer team, it was said Monday that volleyball, hockey and basketball will not be played until at least January, but the president of Canada West said that may not happen as Clint Hamilton made this ominous statement.
“If there’s no vaccine, and the physical distancing requirements have not changed across our four provinces, it’s going to be hard to envision us playing a January-to-March season, to be frank.” Hamilton said.
