Kodiaks, ACAC cleared to prepare for the fall season

By Dale Woodard on April 28, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDsports@lethbridgeherald.com

It’s with a bit of cautious optimism, but the Lethbridge College Kodiaks and the rest of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference have been cleared to begin preparing for the 2021-22 season this fall.

After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020-21 season, the ACAC has been granted approval to draft schedules and commence preparations for the delivery of a 2021-22 post-secondary athletics season.

The move comes with the endorsement of presidents from all 17 ACAC member institutions.

As the ACAC now takes some steps forward, Lethbridge College manager of athletics and recreation services Todd Caughlin said this announcement is for the student-athlete who had to endure so much over the past year.

“It’s a level of excitement, obviously,” said Caughlin. “One of the most important pieces to it all is the student athletes. They have had to face so many incredible challenges over the last 12 months, just for that mental health piece. You’re always physically training and doing something as a student athlete. But as the mental side goes, when your routine has been altered the way it has been and (with) no clear competition in sight, it affects you. They have been resilient and amazing. I’m proud of them and now with this announcement it gives that level of excitement for them to be able now to refocus.”

In Tuesday’s announcement, the ACAC addressed its key elements of the schedule planning for 2021-22.

The season will commence with outdoor sports (cross country, golf and soccer) no sooner than Sept. 17 with indoor tournament sports (badminton, curling, futsal and indoor track) played exclusively in the Winter 2022 semester, which begins in January.

The indoor league sports — basketball, hockey and volleyball — will commence no sooner than Nov. 12, but may be delayed until Jan. 14. A decision about the start date for indoor league sports will be confirmed by Aug. 30.

All schedules will be reduced and playoff formats will be modified during the 2021-22 transition season. Tentative schedules are being developed with the objective to circulate and approve as soon as possible.

As well, geographic divisional alignments will possibly be adjusted to reduce travel. Decisions about ACAC participation or hosting of CCAA Championships will be confirmed at a later date.

Institutions will maintain independent authority to determine the date when student-athletes in any sport can commence on-campus training and practices.

ACAC members will retain the option to exercise Manifest Hardship at any time to withdraw from any or all ACAC sport participation at any time for any reason, without sanction or penalty.

For now, no spectators will be permitted at ACAC indoor competitions until further notice.

Further information will be shared as planning for the 2021-22 ACAC season evolves.

“The steps we have to take as a conference now is we have our spring conference council meetings coming up in the second week of May,” said Caughlin. “The hope is we will have tentative schedules to propose, talk through and make sure we’re looking at all the different aspects and trying to make sure we’re staying fiscally responsible. But also the paramount piece is the health and safety of our student-athletes and everybody who is involved. So we will go through those and we need that stamp of approval from the presidents. But just having this opportunity to be able to look at some scheduling is a huge step forward.”

As for no fans at the games, Caughlin noted that could change between now and November.

“We’re thinking about the health and safety of everybody involved. We’re just trying to take those cautious steps.

“Right now, Nov. 12 would be the earliest start date for volleyball and basketbal. How many games could we get in before Christmas remains to be seen. And depending on the state of the pandemic at that time, we may only get one or two games in. We don’t know. But we’ll take all of those things into consideration. Keeping the fans away is not something anybody wants, but understandable at this point, too.”

Caughlin said no student-athlete will be charged a year of eligibility for the cancelled 2020-21 season.

“There were some schools that never even got to practise or got to train. There were schools like ourselves that had great support from our administration. That was a major piece we really fought for on a national level, not just a conference level. It was the right decision.”

As the ACAC continues to weight its options for the 2021-22 season, Caughlin said there was optimism in just getting cleared the explore the possibilities.

“Every turn we take just goes back to that positive piece that at least we’re getting that chance to look at it now,” he said.

“Hopefully, things keep going in the right direction with the pandemic and all the protocols and safety measures and as we move along, hopefully things continue to open.”

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