Rattlers still playing waiting game on future of fall season

“It’s just incredibly disheartening and incredibly disappointing,” said Medicine Hat College’s manager of sport and wellness Terry Ballard. “These student athletes work so hard for what they’re going after and just to have that taken away for the fall is tough to deal with I’m sure.”

The ACAC has not yet made an official decision on the fate of the fall semester schedule, most recently announcing in late April that they are committed to planning a 2020-21 athletics season.

Ballard said the ACAC has since met in May to discuss the viability of fall sports this year, establishing a task force to focus on the effects of COVID-19 on the conference.

There is some crossover from U Sports’ decision to wipe the slate clean this fall, however the ACAC is in a different position to limit travel and potential spread of the virus.

“I think it certainly does a little bit,” said Ballard. “There is some distinct differences, they play over four provinces for example. We primarily have one province, we have one team (Briercrest) just over the border in Saskatchewan in our conference. So, there are some restrictions that are a little bit easier for us to handle in Alberta. But, at the same time we have to be cognizant of what our colleagues have done.”

Soccer and golf are at most risk of cancellation or postponement for the Rattlers as both seasons usually wrap up before November, while volleyball and basketball are deemed two-semester sports.

Canada West decided not to cancel two-semester sports like hockey, volleyball and basketball, but did say the earliest those seasons would start would be January 1.

If a Rattlers fall season is determined feasible by the ACAC, Ballard said they have discussed a handful of start dates into the winter if needed.

“There’s been scenarios as part of this task force that have been created for a September 1 date, an October 1 start date, a November 1 start date and a January 1 start date,” he said. “I think that’s the prudent thing to do, is to have all these different contingency plans because we’re all trying to be positive and hope for the best, but you never know if this will be allowed.”

Canada West is offering seniors the chance to defer their final season of university athletics to 2021, but there is concern that many won’t return for a sixth year of post-secondary.

The Rattlers luckily were able to avoid major event cancellations as a result of the pandemic after they concluded both their ACAC women’s volleyball and basketball championships in the weeks before lockdown.

Rattlers futsal was the lone casualty with their provincial tournament being cancelled by the ACAC along with all remaining conference games.

According to Ballard, the college is fully committed financially towards a complete season of Rattlers athletics if that’s the direction the ACAC deems appropriate. However, he added there is still a lot of uncertainty.

“We have an approved budget for next year ready to go for a full season,” he said. “Clearly, if we don’t play a full season we won’t have to access that budget. But, we’re going to be as fiscally responsible as possible and just make the right decisions based on student-athlete health and what the province recommends we do.”

Ballard expects the ACAC to come to a decision on the future of the 2020 fall season by the end of the month.

by Scott Roblin

Rattlers still playing waiting game on future of fall season

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