By Kyle Huber
Special to The Equinox
While the first “snow day” of the 2019-2020 school year cancelled all classes for the day, athletics did not fold to the snow and sleet blanketing the area.
“I was surprised we had anything today, but it’s inside so I’m just glad to get some work in,” said Ryan Widmeier, a freshman pitcher on the FDU baseball team.
Baseball was not the only team getting work in despite the snow, as the men’s and women’s track and field teams and the men’s basketball team also held practices inside the Rothman Center.
“We play tomorrow, so as long as we could get in the gym today, we needed to get some reps in,” said Xzavier Malone-Key, a redshirt-junior on the FDU basketball team. For the basketball team, an indoor sport, the weather does not pose much of a concern besides traversing the icy roads in order to get across the river to the Rothman Center.
According to NCAA rules, it is the athletic director’s decision about what, if any, activities can be carried out on campus during days of inclement weather. This decision is based on the goal of protecting the student-athletes and athletic personnel from any possible harm that could come as a result of having to commute to campus under potentially unsafe road conditions.
This leads to full excusal of any athletics personnel or student-athlete who fears for their well-being from commuting to practice during times of inclement or hazardous weather.
Participating in college athletics is a strenuous experience for athletes due to the long hours of practices, maintaining their academic success and even some unanticipated sacrifices, such as spending a “snow day” practicing instead of relaxing.
Snow day does not mean off-day for student athletes.
This deadline article was written as part of Professor Mo Krochmal’s news writing class.
Photo by Kyle Huber
Snowy scene on the banks of the Hackensack River at FDU Metro Mon., Dec. 2.
