Jamie Pollard, ISU’s 2019 Big 12 Athletic Director of The Year, was recently Ames Golden K’s guest speaker at their weekly Thursday meeting, which continues to be held virtually. Seventy-eight Golden K and Kiwanis members from Iowa City, Nevada, and Ames Town and Country attended, a record for GK virtual meetings. Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic occupied many of Mr. Pollard’s remarks. Highlights:
- There has been an abundance of misinformation in circulation concerning ISU’s athletics COVID-19 efforts–most is well-intentioned, but speculative. Most does not reflect ISU’s actual experience. There are no “absolutes” that guarantee that student-athletes will avoid COVID.
- All Football, Volleyball, Soccer, and men’s and women’s Basketball and other sports athletes undergo COVID testing and mitigation protocols.
- When the rest of the student body arrives in Ames, athletes have been advised to be “smart” about social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions.
- All practices for all sports are being conducted in “pods” based on the position the athlete plays, with all coaches and staff socially distanced. In person meetings between athletes and coaches/staff are currently not allowed.
- There is a possibility that all Fall sports could be cancelled, except Football. ISU’s $86M budget overwhelmingly relies on Football attendance and TV. It would be a huge blow to ISU’s Athletics Department employees, their families, and the Ames Business Community if Football season is cancelled or severely limited.
- There are plans to have the ISU Marching Band perform at Football games–with restrictions for social distancing.
- ISU will not have a complete 12 game season. The Big 12 Conference could opt for scheduling only Big 12 member games plus allowing one game against an out-of-conference opponent.
- All ISU athletic scholarships affected by cancellation of any sport will be honored, and hopefully {pending NCAA approval} a year of eligibility will be restored.
- Mitigation strategies to establish protocols for fans/spectators/vendors/volunteers at ISU Football, Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer games are in process.
- Soccer and Volleyball games will begin in September. Fans will be allowed with COVID mitigation protocols. There will be no admission charged.
- Basketball games may not be played until January–probably with no fans allowed.
- The new Student Performance Center for student athletes is being constructed–a state of the art facility that will be the envy of ISU’s athletic competitors.
Mr. Pollard concluded his remarks regarding trying to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, stating: “There are a lot of people that have ANSWERS, but few have SOLUTIONS!”
This was an excellent and memorable presentation by Mr. Pollard. Few in the Ames, ISU,
and Story County communities, are aware of Jamie and his family’s philanthropic support of
of many charitable/non-profit organizations, often carried out anonymously.
Sports Amid COVID
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Last Updated: October 4, 2022 by Joe T
Category: News, Speakers
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