Around this year, Sinclair Community College normally prepares for its fall semester, consisting of classes, campus activities and of course, sports. However, this year, Sinclair has had to cancel sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 14 2020, Jackie Kasner of The Clarion reported that the college is, “suspending sports for the 2020-21 academic year.” She further stated that this decision will, “give everyone the opportunity to adjust their lives and what was previously the norm.”
Each student-athlete was contacted through mail. The letter informed them the 2020 sports had been suspended. As disappointing the news may have been for some athletes, there was a plus side – an increase in scholarship money for the student athletes.
According to Sinclair, the NCAA(National Collegiate Athletic Association) has given athletes who participate in a Spring sport another year of eligibility. Additionally, the support services available during their season will serve as help.
Student-athletes still have the opportunity to transfer to a 4-year university and they’ll have the opportunity of increased scholarships. Lastly, there’s a question that needs to be answered – do student-athletes have an extra year since they lost a season? This is still being decided nationwide.
For those who anticipated playing, this could be either a loss or a gain. But ultimately, this does not stop students from the goal of graduating and continuing to succeed in the classroom.
However, student-athletes and students still have the opportunity to transfer to a 4-year university. The new normal won’t last forever, as Sinclair hopes to resume sports Fall 2021-22.
This was written for JOU-2101.
Kumarie Wilson
Contributing Writer