Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many school sports teams have had to cancel or postpone their seasons. Lethbridge College is one of these schools, announcing they will be forgoing the 2021 ACAC winter season.

Lethbridge College has cancelled the 2021 ACAC winter season.

With COVID-19 on the rise again in Alberta, student safety was the top priority and the cancellation of the season was necessary to ensure everyone’s best interests. 

Todd Caughlin, the manager of athletics at Lethbridge College, is disappointed with how things went down but says this was a necessary decision. 

“It wasn’t the news any of us wanted to hear, we were all hoping that we were going to be able to get something done, but the reality is it’s COVID, it’s 2020 and the pandemic is causing a lot of difficult decisions to be made.”

Although this was disappointing for everyone involved, Caughlin says staff and student athletes have been very understanding of the process. 

“The Kodiaks, the student athletes and the coaching staff, they have been amazing. They have handled it very well, they’re stepping up and it’s obviously going to take a little bit to set in. It affects everybody differently, from a first-year athlete to a fourth-year athlete and then of course coaches.”

Caughlin says the decision was challenging and it took a lot of collaboration with different members of the Lethbridge College community.

“It’s a combination of a lot of different groups, everybody is playing a role and no decisions can be made without the support of the senior leadership.”

According to a press release by Lethbridge College on Nov. 4, Dr. Paula Burns says safety remains the top prerogative.

“Our priority is to ensure a safe and consistent response to all of our operations, including Kodiaks Athletics, during this pandemic.”

With the COVID cases increasing in Alberta, restrictions have been mandated by the Alberta Government. 

These restrictions include limiting the amount of people allowed in gyms and fitness centres.  

Restrictions like this make it difficult for athletic programs to function, but Caughlin says they will continue to work together to help provide necessary experiences for student-athletes. 

“We are going to face this head on and we’re going to do what we can to make the best of it.”

In the Lethbridge College press release, Dr. Burns also says the college will continue to encourage student-athletes during these difficult times. 

“Kodiaks Athletics is an integral part of our institution and provides so many benefits to our college as a whole. We are committed to working with the Kodiaks and our student-athletes to provide them with the best possible experience under these unique circumstances. They will continue to train and develop key skills both on- and off-court during this winter semester.”

Both Dr. Burns and Caughlin hope that play will resume next fall and that the whole college will be ready to cheer on the Kodiaks.