SNHU spring athletes will return to campus on March 1.
With the NE10’s recent announcement that spring sports will be returning for the 2021 season, many students questioned whether SNHU Spring Sports would be resuming play since the decision to return is ultimately up to the individual school’s discretion. With this great unknown, the new information acquired from athletes has provided new clarity in SNHU’s unannounced decision on the fate of spring sports.
According to softball member Abigail Gray and even a post from SNHU Tennis, the return of spring athletes at SNHU will begin in the weeks leading up to March. Student-athletes from around the globe are currently headed back to campus at the time of this article’s publication.
In a post from the NE10, the Council of Presidents met and decided on “approved policies and protocols that support the resumption of NE10 competition this spring.” Face coverings, health protocols and vigilance are the main focuses of the NE10 and their hopes of safety for all students and staff involved in this long-awaited opportunity.
Competition is set to begin mid-March according to the NE10.
Gray states that they are ready to return on March 4 to practice 5-6 times a week. They will all be living in Tuckerman Hall on the same floor. “Each team gets a floor in Tuckerman, so we are safe distance-wise and SNHU has worked extremely hard to ensure we are comfortable and safe with everything going on. We room with a teammate on the other side of us,” said Gray. They will also be getting a COVID-19 test twice a week to ensure safety for practices and games.
“As a team, we have a short time to really click with new teammates so it’s really important for us to gear up and work out little things so we can all grow together and play as one! I think this year will be great. Our season was cut short on our Florida trip last year and we’ve been eager to play since last March. Getting back together will be the best feeling,” continued Gray.
With games being more local for the softball team to cut travel and hotel visits, they are very grateful for this opportunity to play.
“The team sports schedules for baseball, softball, tennis and lacrosse have undergone significant revisions that maximize contests while minimizing time off campus to travel and address current interstate travel restrictions,” according to the article.
After almost a year of dormant SNHU sports, this is the first return back to campus for athletes.
