In March 2020, Green River College students were not able to
play sports, but with the world opening back up again, this is how the
college’s sports are opening back up for a safe season.
Sports were not played at all in fall 2020. Instead, the college moved
the sports season to the spring of 2021, and only three of our eight
sports participated in said season. Those sports were baseball, track and
field, and cross country.
There are many differences between the sports season of spring
2021 and the season of fall 2021. Shannon Percell, the athletic director
at Green River College (GRC), says that there are a couple of differences
between the two sports seasons.
The main difference between the spring and fall sports seasons
are vaccinations.
“Some of the big differences between last spring and this year for
sports include that most athletes and coaches are now vaccinated,” said
Percell, who has worked at GRC for three and a half years.
The NWAC COVID-19 policies for the 2020-2021 sports season
handout goes over the rules if you are unvaccinated. Student-athletes
must also undergo frequent surveillance testing. The COVID
vaccination is not required for all student-athletes as of now, however, it
will be required soon.
One interesting team is the girls’ volleyball team. “We’ve been 100
percent vaccinated since before our season started,” said Kyle Densley,
the girls’ volleyball coach of 16 years.
There are, however, a few complications to the new COVID-19 policies
regarding masks.
“It does create communication challenges for me,” said Densley.
He said that it can be difficult for his athletes on the court to hear him
due to his mask, but there are ways around it.
Despite the guidelines, athletes, coaches, and fans are all excited
for Fall 2021 sports season and this fresh start.
