By Luke Mich
Most recently, attention to SVC sports has been given towards football practicing in the afternoons and the baseball team playing inner squad games Friday afternoons and Saturday and Sunday mornings. Additionally, the release of spring sports schedules from the Presidents’ Athletic Conference has led to Saint Vincent’s other NCAA sports teams practicing tri-weekly throughout this fall. But what about club sports: are any currently practicing?
Tony Cancilla, a sophomore accounting major and president of the Ultimate Frisbee Club, detailed that the club is practicing throughout the semester. Ultimate Frisbee Club is one of the few clubs on campus to have in-person meetings.
Cancilla explained that after consulting with the advisor of the club, Jym Walters, they decided it was possible to have club meetings.
“Due to the coronavirus, our club had to make some rule changes. The first change included requiring club members to bring a mask down to the field whenever we meet,” Cancilla said. “We decided it would be possible to safely play pickup games if we changed some rules so that everyone can maintain social distancing, [such as] any man marking must be only as close as 6 feet.”
Practices have been just as often as they have been in years past, happening two to three times a week.
“We’re able to meet consistently on Monday and Wednesday, along with on Friday, occasionally,” Cancilla said.
Just like most classes and events here on campus, masks are required throughout the practices, with the exception to take them off when people are six or more feet apart, Cancilla noted. But even with the additional guidelines, frisbee practices have not changed that much.
“Overall, the changes have not been as significant as I feared coming into the semester. It is definitely different, but our pickup games still seem authentic overall,” Cancilla said.
Unfortunately, one thing that will not happen this year due to health concerns is local competitions, including the annual Bill Saxe Tournament, held during homecoming weekend.
“The cancellation of the tournament was especially a bummer, because I believe it is the best event that Ultimate Frisbee Club has to offer,” Cancilla acknowledged. However, Cancilla did not rule out having a smaller tournament within the school.
“We are still considering our options for potentially making a smaller tournament only available to students that live on campus later this month, but it won’t feel the same since we will not be allowed to open it to the public,” he added.
As for how long the club will play this semester, Cancilla said it all depends on the weather. Yet he added that it is a great thing to admit that weather will determine play instead of health concerns, noting how well the school has handled the coronavirus.
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