For now, like the rest of the sports world, UFV Athletics has put itself on hold so that it might aid in slowing the spread of COVID-19. The university announced on Monday, March 16 a series of changes that altered both their athletic teams and their campus recreation facilities. The changes dramatically impacted nearly all aspects of the Cascades’ operations, from their varsity programs all the way down to conference meetings and youth teams.
For students, the shutdown of campus recreational facilities is significant. The athletic department’s official statement reads: “As of 4 p.m. on Monday, March 16, all UFV gymnasiums and fitness facilities (Building E on the Abbotsford campus, Building Q on the Chilliwack campus) are closed until further notice.”
This leaves athletes and students living on campus without resources for staying active through quarantines; however, the message from UFV Athletics and Campus Recreation is that the shutdowns are “in alignment with directives issued by the federal and provincial governments, UFV, U SPORTS, Canada West, and provincial sport organizations.”
Apart from this, various aspects of the Cascades’ varsity programs have been affected. The most recent and serious of these was the decision by the CCBC (the league that UFV baseball plays for) to cancel the spring season outright on March 17. This marks the first full-season cancellation for UFV due to the spread of COVID-19. Talks are ongoing regarding a potential CCBC fall season being played as opposed to the spring season; however, nothing has been confirmed.
UFV also announced in-person recruiting would be suspended for three weeks. This could have profound implications for any programs that have yet to complete their recruitment for the 2020-21 season, as recruiting often serves as a university’s biggest tool to recreate their rosters from season to season.
The COVID-19 pandemic renders concerns for UFV this summer, as sports such as soccer and basketball are usually active throughout the months of August and September. The university has not confirmed whether sports which are set to begin after baseball will be affected or not. Other sports likely will be though, if restrictions and closures persist into July and August. The summer months are busy for UFV Athletics, as many teams begin preliminary training camps.
As of now, UFV has suspended practices indefinitely, meaning that the teams are not assembling in person for workouts or training. For many teams, this isn’t so much of a concern at this point in the year. However, if the ban persists, teams could be severely impacted by a lack of familiarity with each other and a lack of practice for the season
The global crisis that is COVID-19 continues to ravage university sports in Canada, and UFV will have to wait until new information allows them to proceed into the 2020-21 sports season. For now the changes are inconsequential for some of the teams, but that could change heading toward the summer.
