A Note to Readers: 365 Days Later

To our readers:

Here we are. It has already been one year. At this time last year, the sports world, along with society at large, came to a halt. College athletic conferences and pro leagues alike faced the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic, suspending or canceling play altogether. Some leagues have since resumed play, but the Ivy League has not.

In the past 365 days, however, Ivy League student-athletes have not been idle. Some have participated in non-Harvard competitions, others have designed new and different training techniques, and some have picked up new activities and leadership opportunities. Programs and coaches have adapted their recruiting and sought to maintain a sense of community in the virtual world we find ourselves in today. And student-athletes have juggled eligibility decisions unprecedented in the Ancient Eight, sifting through options such as deferring semesters to maintain eligibility, foregoing seasons to graduate on time, exploring the possibility of playing as graduate students (at Harvard or elsewhere), or embarking on professional careers early.

What unites all of the featured student-athletes and coaches, however, is a willingness to transform the trials and tribulations of this past year into the silver linings of improvements made, adversity overcome, and resilience built. And of course, they all look forward to the return of Ivy League sports, knowing that integrating people’s vastly different experiences and rebuilding team chemistry will be challenging yet exhilarating goals to look forward to. Indeed, the work is already beginning as some Crimson student-athletes have returned to campus for some limited, socially-distanced team workouts and activities.

While Harvard Athletics was inactive on the intercollegiate level, the individuals that make up its teams certainly were not. The 2020-21 Ivy League sports seasons may have been canceled, but they were not lost.

Sincerely,

William C. Boggs ’22 | Sports Chair

A.J. Dilts ’23 | Sports Chair