A message from Michele O’Keefe, associate director, Athletics and Recreation:
With the health and safety of everyone involved in varsity athletics as a priority, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), in collaboration with its member institutions, announced today that it has made the decision to cancel the sanctioned varsity athletic season for the 2021 winter semester. Sports affected by this decision at Niagara College include basketball, curling, volleyball and indoor soccer.
The OCAA made this difficult decision based on a number of factors including recommendations from public health and provincial sport organizations. More information can be found on the OCAA website here.
While this decision is not unexpected, the announcement is a difficult one for our student-athletes and their families, our coaches and staff, and our entire NC Knights community. We have a strong team of coaches who are willing and able to support our student-athletes during this time and we will be honouring the scholarships that we committed to for all our Knights.
Faculty and staff are also encouraged to remind student-athletes that there are services in place to support them through this time. Please refer individuals to NC’s Health, Wellness and Accessibility Services for counselling and other mental health supports. Additional resources can be found on the College’s COVID-19 website.
On behalf of the Knights athletic community, thank you for your support during this time. We look forward to the day when we can welcome our student-athletes back to varsity sport once the conditions allow for it.
With thanks,
Michele
