COVID-19 ends athletic seasons, but athletes keep going

As the entirety of Viterbo University is undergoing a difficult transition into an online stage, there is one department that will not have any chance of continuing via the Internet: Viterbo athletics. On March 12, Viterbo President Glena Temple released a statement announcing the immediate suspension of all athletic events, competitions, and practices. Four days later, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced that the 2020 spring season would be canceled in its entirety. The NAIA also announced that it would not charge any spring student-athletes with a season of competition.

Despite the NAIA’s efforts to help student-athletes not lose their eligibility, many seniors saw their final season cut short without a chance to end on their own terms. Ricky Speltz is a senior from Minnesota City, Minn. who was looking forward to concluding his Viterbo golf career this season. “I know when I first heard that the season was cancelled, I was heartbroken” said Speltz, adding that “I felt like I had just had my senior year stolen from me.” However, Speltz later found out that the NAIA was granting eligibility to those affected by the suspension, which in his case, meant that he would still have a chance to play in the fall. “I am a double major and could not fit all of my credits into 4 years so I am going to be back at Viterbo to finish up school in the fall” stated the golfer, adding that “I think I will also take advantage of the eligibility relief and play golf next season.”

Speltz is one of the lucky seniors who can return and finish their athletic career next semester. However, many other student-athletes are not so lucky. “I feel for all of the other seniors at Viterbo and across the country who do not get a chance to end their careers on their own terms,” said Speltz, addressing them by stating, “thank you for the sacrifices you have made over the years for each of your teams, I can assure you it has not gone unnoticed.”

From a coaching perspective, the situation is highly complicated as well. Head men’s soccer coach Luke Dunn was in the middle of making preparations for the spring season when news of the suspension broke. “Normally, we would be practicing about five days a week at this point and would have just played our first spring game vs Upper Iowa last weekend,” stated Dunn, who added that “Because we aren’t doing this, we have put an emphasis on the guys trying to do a lot of work on their own while still maintaining the isolation and distancing guidelines set in place.” This has led to some creative solutions, including players sharing home workouts featuring 1v1 soccer with pets and weekly team meetings on Zoom.

Staying in shape is not the only aspect that Dunn has had to address. Recruiting is a large component of a collegiate coach’s life. For Dunn, this situation has meant that scouting trips and face-to-face meetings are no longer a possibility. “I have been contacting [incoming recruits] to help them navigate the current situation and answer any questions they may have,” said Dunn, adding that “It is an uncertain time for them, so as a coach I want to try and provide them with as many answers as possible.”

Ultimately, the coach has a strong message for those recruits who may be concerned at the moment, stating, “I want to give them the assuredness that they have a home here at Viterbo and with the men’s soccer team regardless of what this situation presents.”