By Annarose King, Staff Photographer, and Daniel Carvalho, Staff Writer
On March 3, 2021, Haverford announced its decision to cancel all athletic collegiate competitions for the spring semester due to the ongoing pandemic. This choice was promptly followed by the Centennial Conference’s giving colleges the green light for schools to compete within the conference. Despite this news, Haverford, along with Bryn Mawr, reiterated their decision to remain on the sidelines for the spring.
The Bi-Co schools decided not to allow student-athletes to participate in intercollegiate competition this semester due to the risk of infection caused by traveling and competition. In Haverford’s FAQ document about the cancellation decision, the college explained that “[reduced off-campus travel] has been a huge disappointment, but is also a central reason why COVID rates have remained well below [their] surrounding area for over a year.” This policy may be frustrating for many that were hopeful for a spring season. The administration stated that they were aware of other “intercollegiate athletic programs” occurring in the spring, but that “travel required for conference competition would create excessive risk” for the Bi-Co Community.
When asked about the cancellation of his final collegiate season, men’s lacrosse captain Joe Weisberg ‘21 acknowledged the decision was frustrating and wishes it were different. He also shared that he “saw it coming” based on Haverford’s earlier policies and cancellation of fall and winter sports. Weisberg emphasized that his frustration comes from the lack of communication from administration. The senior captain explained that he felt “kept in the dark” for most of the process. While he understands the decision was most likely made at the last minute, he wished the college could have provided some “criteria [Haverford was] using to decide whether to allow for a season or not,” as this would have given some clarity on the decision-making process.
Chris Xue, a senior member of Bryn Mawr’s tennis team, provided a statement about Bryn Mawr’s response. “We’re disappointed, but value health over all else. Keeping the campus healthy is more important than competition this year.”
Abe Doroshow ‘21, a chemistry major on the track team, was also interviewed. “Spring track 2020 was supposed to be my first competitive season since my freshman year [fall 2016],” he said, “but obviously COVID threw a wrench in that.” He added that he “was looking forward to the conference this year, since it would have been my last chance to compete.” The responses from other students were “the most surprising part,” Doroshow said. “People were shocked and angry and felt they’d been lied to because Haverford had made it seem like there was a chance we’d be able to compete—whereas I never even thought it was a possibility given Haverford’s other restrictive COVID policies and their case-number success last semester.”
He mentioned that some members of the track team drafted a letter “in which they requested that the administration consider some lower-risk season alternatives” for athletes. Another idea the letter put forth was “a relaxation of scientifically low-risk activities for all students on campus.” That way, the track team’s requests “wouldn’t require special athlete-only exemptions to the COVID policy.” Abe said that he didn’t know whether the administration would be receptive to the letter. Still, he said, “I felt that my teammates’ demands were fairly reasonable, so I signed as a gesture of support to them.” As for student-athletes in general, he added, “I think the social media response/outrage was pretty unnecessary.”
Haverford’s “COVID policies were successful last semester,” Doroshow noted, “and the pandemic is still going on, so it’s valid not to want to rock the boat.” He thought that the administration “should have been more transparent before the start of the semester” about their plans for the conference. “I know several people who came back to campus specifically because they thought there was a chance of a season,” Doroshow said. “While I think that was overly idealistic of them, it could have been avoided if Haverford had told everyone of their plans off the bat instead of deferring their announcement.”
On March 5, the Centennial Conference posted a statement on Instagram stating that the choice to have a spring season was up to “each member institution,” and that “the Conference supports” every decision. Many Haverford students, parents, and alumni used the post to criticize Haverford’s absence from spring competitions, with comments like “Cant [sic] wait to watch all the other centennial schools play <3.” Another asked why Haverford wouldn’t participate if John Hopkins, a rival in the conference, would. Some comments claimed that “Haverford did no research” prior to their decision, although the administration has stated that they have referred to a panel of medical experts for institutional decisions during the pandemic. Hashtags like #LetTheSquirrelsPlay spread rapidly, both among Fords and other students in the conference, as well as one about firing President Wendy Raymond.
One student-athlete wrote that this decision was “ridiculous, [because] there has been a whole year to plan” for a solution that would allow for Haverford’s lacrosse team to compete. Another stated that it was “disgusting that people are trying to take away another season from these athletes.” One commenter said that “According to the science from the CDC, NCAA and other state bodies, it is safe to return to play with certain procedures,” and asked as to why Haverford would not play.
However, not all students agree that spring sports should have a season in 2021. When the post circulated among the student body, many students stated on their Instagram stories that it would be irresponsible to hold competitions before the end of the pandemic, and that the commenters had not considered how COVID-19 risks played a role in the college’s decision-making process.
On March 28, Haverford’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) sent an email on the loss of spring seasons and resulting outbursts on social media. “We know firsthand how much each of our individual sports means to us and the work and dedication that it takes to excel as a student-athlete at Haverford,” SAAC stated in their address to student-athletes. “We understand that our athletic community is still working through its emotions about these cancellations…but our forms of coping cannot be at the expense of our greater Haverford community.” SAAC stated that they did “not condone the misogynistic, problematic, and horribly egregious language used by student-athletes, family members, and friends” on Instagram.
Looking forward, Haverford is hopeful for allowing athletes to return to the playing field in the fall. This optimism comes from the increasing availability of COVID-19 vaccines. As of now, most states are still in their initial stages of the vaccination process. However, the majority of the public is expected to start receiving vaccine doses starting in May and extending throughout the summer. As of April 2, Haverford has also announced a plan to vaccinate students and employees before the end of the semester. While this news does not take away from the disappointment of many senior athletes, it provides a certain degree of positivity for the 2021–2022 academic and athletic year.
Image credit: Centennial Conference
