King's Cancels Basketball Season for Spring 2021 Semester
Photo by Chris Davis
The King’s College Athletic Department made the decision to cancel the Spring 2021 men’s and women’s basketball season on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
King’s Athletic Director, Bryan Finley said, “The College administration and the athletic department held out hope as long as possible that some form of basketball season could be held. However, two factors led to the decision to cancel.”
Finley attributes the main reasons for canceling the season to the rising rate of COVID-19 cases in New York City, the fact that many of the gyms and courts they usually rented out for practices and games were not available, and an insufficient game schedule due to many opposing teams also choosing to cancel their season.
The Athletic Department strictly abides by the guidelines set out by the CDC and NYC but, they remain optimistic about the soccer and volleyball seasons.
“We are still hopeful women's volleyball and men's and women's soccer can play an abbreviated season later in the spring semester. According to New York State guidelines, athletes would need a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours prior to competition. Spectators would not be allowed.”
A final decision has not yet been made regarding the continuation of volleyball and soccer. According to Finley, King’s and the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) are working together to monitor the situation. “The COVID-19 situation changes daily, so The King's College and the HVIAC will hold off as long as possible before making a decision on those sports,” Finley says.
In the event that volleyball and soccer commence, student-athletes are not obligated to participate in the season if they feel uncomfortable. They can still contribute to the team by promoting their sport on social media or by keeping track of statistics as the season progresses.
As for men’s and women’s basketball, the players will continue to play in small groups and train on their own as they have been during the Fall semester.
Women's basketball player and point guard Shá Sanders will be a senior next spring. She is disappointed that her season is canceled, but will continue to train offseason with her team and help an underclassman prepare for her position as the future point guard and team captain.
“We are not neglecting the severity of COVID and the impact it has had on our city and our country. We are saying that when handled correctly, sports can be played safely. We see it in testing with NCAA D1 games. No, we aren't as big as them, but NYC and its access to rapid testing allow for pretty much the same caliber level testing as higher-level athletes get,” Sanders said.