By Katharine Gilbert
As we see on a daily basis the statistics of the covid-19 pandemic, we know the virus has impacted all segments of our society. We hear constantly of this new normal but that definition is ever changing and evolving on a daily basis. The uncertainty has reached our education system at all levels. University and high school administrators continue to seek a balance and consistent policy for the academic fall and, most likely, entire year. However the athletes at High Schools and Colleges are dealing with inconsistent policies and uncertain futures.
We asked Michael Schnur, who is in his 20th year as Head Coach Mens & Womens swimming teams at University of Pennsylvania, to give us his perspective.
1As the University of Pennsylvania Head Coach of Mens & Womens Swimming in NCAA Division 1…What are a few of your biggest challenges facing this uncertain 2020 competitive season
Our biggest challenge is keeping our team together, training, and continuing to prepare themselves to eventually compete again. It is very hard for many of them who live in covid impacted areas that have closed pools to be able to practice at all.
2Let’s go back to when Pandemic struck — where were you and were you still coaching or was your season concluded or abruptly suspended — the Div 1 NCAA Championships were close to that time and was the NCAA meet held
When we got the news that all students had to go home in March, our season was over for all of our athletes except one. Cathy Buroker was still training for the womens NCAA Championships, which was to be held 5 days later. Once the NCAA announced all winter championships had been cancelled, we ended our season, and she went home to her parent’s house.
3When recruiting nationwide did you find that you heard varying attitudes regarding pandemic mandates expressed by parents and swimmers and how do you respond to different opinions to formulate a Team plan for this new normal
There were huge differences in attitudes about the pandemic based on where a recruit lived. We had many recruits in the South who started training in May, while some of the other athletes we are recruiting in New York or California still haven’t been allowed to resume training. It was very obvious how different parts of America treated the pandemic based on how restricted the lives of the kids we were recruiting were. Our team plan is based on what Penn will allow, not as much on the different parts of the country’s differing attitudes.
4The Ivy League moved quickly suspending Football and entire Fall Sports Programs…where does that leave Winter Sports such as Swimming-Basketball-Wrestling etc. Has the NCAA issued any guidance regarding Winter Sport seasons and do you think will that coincide with Ivy League decision.
The NCAA has issued very little guidance on how to handle the pandemic. Their lack of leadership has been a sore point for many coaches and athletes this summer. All of our direction has come from the Ivy League and from Penn. Right now, we aren’t allowed to have any contact with our athletes at all. We are hopeful that will change in October and we will be allowed to begin some athletic activities with those who have come back to campus.
5As a parent whose son is returning to College what are your thoughts regarding his return and what are your overriding concerns and expectations
As a parent of a collegiate golfer beginning his sophomore season at Randolph Macon College, I am torn between my apprehension about his safety, and my frustration for him not being allowed to compete in his sport. One of the real tragedies of the pandemic for athletes is that all sports are being treated the same way, despite having such huge differences in how they are able to handle athlete safety. I find it very disheartening that golfers, who can easily maintain social distancing while they play, are being treated the same way contact sport athletes are. There is no reason golf, or other non contact sports that can easily have athletes stay six feet apart, shouldn’t have different rules and safety guidelines than sports that have no ability to do that.
Editor’s Note:
Coach Schnur recently discovered he is 14% Irish and in his words he is “ready to help the [Irish] homeland”.