Last year, many of us were sent home without knowing when we could return, while others were suspended in a liminal space not knowing what their college experience would look like. When in-person students came back to campus in the fall of 2020, it was a year none of us could have predicted, as our college experience was halted and changed possibly forever. Everyone has stories of how COVID affected their lives, but what was the year like for athletes, never knowing if their seasons could be cancelled due to an outbreak?
Read moreMajor League Baseball Postseason Preview
After a painful 2020 of team quarantines and empty stadiums filled with cardboard cutouts, 2021 was a great year for baseball. From epic trades to record breaking no-hitters, the league seems to be back and better than ever, and it will be exciting to see who makes it to the end. It’s clear as the regular season begins to wind down, that fans are on the edge of their seats to see who will have a shot at the 2021 World Series.
Read moreNaomi Osaka’s Challenges Put A Focus on Mental Health
After enduring a worldwide pandemic and persevering through unprecedented times, could it be possible that the world should be more understanding of Naomi Osaka’s struggles?
Read moreTokyo Olympic Games Highlights: Second Week
As the 2020 Summer Olympics comes to a close, sports fans worldwide are reflecting on their favorite plays, passes, and performances. While an exciting first week soaked up the spotlight, the second and last week turned out to be just as captivating. Here are the highlights from the last week of events in Tokyo.
Read moreTokyo Olympic Games Highlights: First Week
The 32nd Olympics are well underway in Tokyo, Japan, this summer. In the past week, the games have featured historic firsts and accomplishments. Here are the highlights so far…
Read more“Controlling the Controllables”: Jason Shlonsky on Lacrosse and His Senior Season
Jason Shlonsky ‘21, who originally was a wrestler and football player, never gave much thought to playing lacrosse in college. Realizing that wrestling and football weren’t right for him, Shlonsky turned to lacrosse, which he saw as a perfect balance between fun and work, and suited his lifestyle better. Now a senior on the Skidmore Men’s Lacrosse team, Shlonsky reflects on his past four years playing lacrosse and how his senior season changed how he viewed his role on the team.
Read moreBasketball and Beyond: Caroline Merguerian on Her Time Playing at Skidmore
Caroline Merguerian 21’ has always been focused on basketball ever since her mom introduced her to the sport in kindergarten. When she was 12, Merguerian was diagnosed with Postural orthostatic tachycardia (POTS) which prevented her from playing for a couple of years. Now a senior on the Skidmore women’s basketball team, Merguerian reflects on her time playing basketball and how her athletics has made her more confident about her future plans.
Read moreAustin Rook Talks SAAC Podcast and Hockey at Skidmore
Starting hockey when he was four years old, Austin Rook ‘22 always considered the sport a big part of his life. After learning how to skate at a local, public skating rink and eventually picking up a stick, Rook started getting more comfortable with the sport. Now a junior on the Skidmore Men’s Hockey team, Rook reflects on his time playing hockey and his role on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Read moreLast One, Fast One: Reflection of My Time Swimming at Skidmore
As my collegiate swimming career comes to a close, I wanted to reflect back on the past four years swimming for Skidmore and taking part in Division III (D3) athletics. Now, as I finish up my time on the Skidmore Swimming and Diving team, I cannot imagine myself anywhere else and am happy with my decision to go D3.
Read moreEmily Hirsch on Changing Her Role On and Off the Field
Even though she considers lacrosse a big part of her life, especially because her dad played throughout his childhood and high school career, Emily Hirsch ‘21 never expected to play at the collegiate level. Now a senior on the Skidmore Women's Lacrosse team, Hirsch reflects on her experience playing at Skidmore and how the pandemic and an injury required a change in her role on the team.
Read moreBobby Stratts on Being a Two Season Athlete
Bobby Stratts ‘22 always thought about playing soccer in college, but because he used to live in the United Kingdom, he knew it would be difficult to get attention from coaches. Stratts also started playing basketball at a young age but didn’t expect to play in college. Being a two-season athlete was not something Stratts had in mind. Now a junior on the Skidmore men’s soccer and basketball team, Stratts reflects on his time playing soccer and basketball at Skidmore.
Read moreLily Feldman on Growing up with Tennis and Her Current Season
Starting tennis at the age of five, Lily Feldman ‘22 has always considered the sport a big part of her life. Although a big part of her life, Feldman didn’t enjoy playing tennis until she was in college. Feldman further explains that she likes college tennis better because it feels like a team sport. Now a junior on the Skidmore’s women’s tennis team, Feldman reflects on her experience with the sport and on playing during a pandemic.
Read moreA Tale of Two Campuses: Pandemic, Privilege, and Platform
We are always going to be around people with more resources, who will be held to lower standards with less accountability. Student-athletes have to recognize their unofficial positions of power on campus and the level of influence these positions have. As we move forward, it is important that we as a community work towards holding our own peers accountable instead of relying on an absent administration to do the work for us. Only then will we be able to move past social hierarchies and reconcile relations between student-athletes and non-student-athletes.
Read moreHow the Liberty League Unanimously Chose to Promote the Spread of COVID-19
Does Skidmore only care about how outsiders perceive us or about what goes on? Do donations related to current or former athletes matter more than student safety? What drove Skidmore, as well as the other schools, to unanimously accept these objectively unsafe protocols? Although we will likely never find the real answer, these are questions that are important to ask. If you are also concerned about campus athletics, or if you believe that they should continue, feel free to contribute to this conversation.
Read moreWhat Exactly is March Madness?
I ask myself that question every year when I hear that this infamous time in College Basketball is approaching. Growing up with two brothers in a very sport- loving family, I have come to appreciate the casual basketball game on television, even following some teams that my family likes. But March Madness? I don’t think I have ever really understood it.
Read moreOn How the NFL Embodies American Hypocrisy
There seems to be a good-as-unanimous consensus that football—and by extension, the National Football League (NFL)—serves as a fundamental, thoroughly red-white-and-blue emblem of American culture, along with grill-branded burgers, guns, and violently orange-colored cheddar cheese. A zoom into the sports world reveals that the NFL has dominated attendance, television ratings, merchandise, and revenue for years now compared to other American sports, and thus is comfortably situated on its very own throne.
Read moreCelebrating Black Athletes: 5 Movies To Watch for Black History Month
As we close out Black History Month, it’s a great time to reflect on some of the most incredible and monumental African-American athletes that helped transform the world of sports that we know today. From the track to the court, these athletes’ excellence, hard work, and determination helped them overcome and shift racial barriers in sports. Here are 5 movies, all based on true stories, to watch to celebrate some of these athletes that revolutionized their sport. Happy viewing!
Read moreWinter Varsity Teams Return to Practice and Competition
Winter sports teams all started their seasons this past week (2/15) and are gearing up to start competitions. The College is hopeful that spring and fall athletes will also get the chance to compete this spring.
Read moreJosh Ridenhour on His Senior Season and Not Returning for the Semester
Beginning soccer at the age of 10, Josh Ridenhour 21’ knew he wanted to play sports in college. After being put into almost every sport when he was younger to see what he was good at, Ridenhour finally landed on soccer. Now a senior on the Skidmore Men’s Soccer team, Ridenhour reflects on his time playing at Skidmore and what it was like to miss his senior season because of the pandemic.
Read morePlaying in the Pandemic: Sarah Winters On Her Unexpected Senior Season
Starting field hockey in the third grade, Sarah Winters 21’ has always considered the sport a big part of her life. Winters knew she wanted to play at the collegiate level because of her immediate love for the sport. Now a senior on the Skidmore Field Hockey team, Winters reflects on her experience playing at Skidmore and how the pandemic changed her senior season.
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