As we near the end of the year for nearly all sports at UFV in 2020-2021, an athletic cycle concludes as well. A year completely sidetracked by the pandemic, 2020-2021 was tough on teams, and most of them saw little to no competition. Even the practices and training were consistently changed due to the COVID-19 situation, and in general, that sucked. However, something that shouldn’t be missed or overlooked is the drastic effect that such a situation has on teams, as many players simply aren’t returning to their squads due to their own dreams, ambitions, and plans outside of UFV.
Staple players from various programs are deciding to move forward in their careers, either with athletics, academics, or their personal lives. Generally, the fans get to experience things such as Senior Night, where departing Cascades can say their goodbyes, giving players the chance to put a bow on their careers at UFV. This year, many players have quietly moved on, leading to a lot of turnover without the fanfare that usually accompanies it. It’s kind of strange to think that many players have now retired as Cascades without playing a game since a couple months into 2020. Not only is that a bummer for them, but that also means something to the broader sports community of the Fraser Valley; fan favourites, key players, and familiar faces of the teams have proudly been embraced by Cascades supporters, and this is a sad, unceremonial way to see them go.
This isn’t the end for those players, however, because Cascades Athletics is not the last stop for them. From professional baseball, to law enforcement, to medical school, and beyond, UFV’s biggest and brightest athletes have plans of their own. We can’t celebrate them as fans like we do every year, but we can think of them, and continue to support them, as alumni of teams that continue to build themselves up for next year. The pandemic has changed the rosters, and maybe they won’t look similar to ones we saw over a year ago, but if the new athletes can play with the same passion as some of the departing Cascades, I think the fans will be happy to embrace them.
Image: UFV Cascades Flickr (2019 file photo)
