From the Desk of the Director of Athletics...

This message has been approved as part of Daemen College's COVID-19 official response.

To Our Fans and Supporters, 

I hope this message reaches you at a time of good health. I am excited for the opportunity to provide you with an update on the status of our division.

After months of planning, the fall 2020 semester is off and running. We've been energized with the return of students to our Amherst campus, including the nearly 250 student-athletes that comprise Western New York's Premier Division II Team. In the early stages of the pandemic, our campus leaders prioritized the need for students to receive in-person instruction, and we've been able to accomplish that thus far through the implementation of various protocols, chiefly the "Respect To Protect" mantra which lays out the expectations for our entire campus community. We are indebted to Dr. Greg Nayor, vice president for strategic initiatives, for his steadfast leadership throughout the pandemic, including oversight of the college's Emergency Response Team. The dedicated professionals that make up that committee have worked tirelessly to ensure that information is shared and policies are well-thought, all in the hope that this unprecedented semester looks as close to normal as possible. 

The start of the semester also means the return to athletics-related activities. As you know, all competitions have been postponed until after January 1, but it's important that our student-athletes begin the process of returning to the sports they love, and to do so safely and effectively. Last week, we held meetings for student-athletes and their parents where sport-specific practice plans were unveiled. Each plan takes into account guidelines established by the NCAA for the resocialization of collegiate sport, as well as directives from our local, state and federal governments. Those practice plans, which call for a gradual ascent back to full-team, "normal" practices, are starting to get underway this week. Our student-athletes, coaches and strength and conditioning specialists will be hard at work on individual skills and training in these fall practice sessions.

While our entire division has been diligent in their response to the new normal brought on by COVID-19, I would like to single out one person in particular. Jeff Sage, assistant athletics director for sports medicine and performance, not only played a leading role in the development of our resocialization plans for athletics, but he was also integrally involved with the Emergency Response Team and its objectives. A knowledgeable and well-respected athletic trainer, Jeff is the longest tenured employee in our division with roots at Daemen dating back to the mid 1990's. His dedication to the college is second to none, and that's been thoroughly demonstrated over the last several months. 

While our student-athletes balance the rigors of academics and athletics in a COVID-19 world, they've also been vocal about finding a way to affect positive change within our society. I am incredibly proud of them for turning words into action with the partnership developed between our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and several other divisions on campus to launch the "Get Civically Fit at Daemen" campaign. This initiative will put our student-athletes at the forefront of encouraging voting and voter registration among their peers on campus. 

Lastly, despite the challenges of COVID, we were able to conduct a successful golf outing last month. The Eighth Annual Wildcat Golf Classic added funds to our coffers that will help offset the inevitable cost of COVID testing when our teams return to competition. We sincerely thank each of you who made an investment in our program, whether that was by joining us for golf or through a corporate signage donation. We certainly hope that it was as enjoyable an experience for you as it was for us, and we're already looking forward and starting the planning process for next summer's golf outing. 

With that said, I wish all of you continued health and happiness. Our long-range focus continues to be on competing for championships and I invite you to follow along as we progress through this semester. Go Wildcats and remember to BE FIERCE!
 

Traci Murphy
Director of Athletics