This message has been approved for distribution as part of Daemen College's COVID-19 official response.
Dear Wildcat Family,
At long last, please allow me to extend a heartfelt welcome back to each of you! By now, most of you have returned to campus, and those coming from out of state locations have completed or are in the process of completing the mandatory 14-day quarantine. I realize this return to campus scenario is unlike anything you've ever experienced, but I thank you for your willingness to sacrifice for the greater good.
As you'll see in the coming days and weeks, personal sacrifice will become a theme for all of us during the Fall 2020 semester. As student-athletes, this should be nothing new; in your chosen sports, you are consistently asked to make sacrifices for the betterment of your team and in support of your teammates. It's imperative that each of us - student-athletes, coaches, faculty and staff - abide by the policies and protocols that have been implemented. These measures have been developed by the college's Emergency Response Team in order to keep us all safe and healthy. I have been a part of those meetings for the last six months, and trust me when I tell you, there is a method to the madness. So, mask up and practice physical distancing!
For your reference, you'll find below important links to various forms of information that you can use throughout the semester. This includes information related to the college's full re-opening plan and the "Respect to Protect" mantra that we're following, as well as links for specific information from the NCAA and the Daemen Division of Athletics. Please make note of the newly established NCAA hotline for coronavirus concerns. If at any time you feel that the Division of Athletics is not placing your best interests at heart, you can call (833-661-2819) or email (covidconcerns@ncaa.org) and the NCAA will investigate the manner.
As I mentioned in my letter to you dated July 17, we will conduct practices and conditioning sessions this semester despite the postponement of competitions. Since that time, we've been hard at work to develop our own resocialization of sport plan. To further discuss these sport-specific plans as well as the additional circumstances that surround the Fall 2020 semester, we are planning to hold in-person meetings at Lumsden Gymnasium on Friday, September 11. There are separate sessions for student-athletes:
- 2:30 p.m. (men's & women's soccer, men's & women's cross country, men's & women's volleyball, women's triathlon)
- 4:00 p.m. (men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, women's bowling, cheerleading)
There will also be a 5:30 p.m. Zoom meeting that day for your parents. Jeff Sage and I will answer any questions they may have as it relates to COVID-19 policies of Daemen College, the Division of Athletics and/or the NCAA. The link for that Zoom meeting will be distributed to parents by each head coach.
In closing, I hope that each of you are in a good place and ready for the challenges that lie ahead, both athletically and academically. I look forward to seeing each of you soon and working together to make sure we tackle the Fall 2020 semester head on.
Traci Murphy
Director of Athletics
