A crowd at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium prior to COVID-19 (Photo provided by Paul Kingsmith, Lethbridge College)

By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge College Kodiaks preparing for 2021-2022 athletic season

Apr 27, 2021 | 11:16 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge College Kodiaks are gearing up for the 2021-22 athletic season.

The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) has been granted approval to draft schedules for teams. The move comes with the support of Presidents from all 17 ACAC member institutions.

The ACAC has proposed a cautious and measured re-introduction of post-secondary sports for 2021-22 following the cancellation of the 2020-21 season.

The long-term goal is to position the ACAC to deliver a more customary season of sport by 2022-23.

Manager of Kodiaks Athletics, Todd Caughlin said, “our student-athletes, coaches, trainers and administrative staff put in monumental efforts to stay engaged and in-action as well as possible, while following public health guidelines this past season.”

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“Our student-athletes learn important life skills through post-secondary athletics and have worked hard to earn the opportunity to compete once again.”

The ACAC has announced the following key elements of its schedule planning for 2021-22:

• The season will commence with outdoor sports (cross country, golf and soccer) no sooner than Sept. 17.
• Indoor tournament sports (badminton, curling, futsal and indoor track) will be played exclusively in the Winter 2022 semester, which begins in January.
• Indoor league sports (basketball, hockey and volleyball) will commence no sooner than Nov. 12 but may be delayed until Jan. 14.
• A decision about the start date for indoor league sports will be confirmed by Aug. 30.
• All schedules will be reduced, and play-off formats will be modified during the 2021-22 transition season.
• Tentative schedules are being developed with the objective to circulate and approve as soon as possible.
• Travel will be reduced. Geographic divisional alignments may be adjusted to reduce travel.
• Decisions about ACAC participation or hosting of CCAA Championships will be confirmed at a later date.
• Institutions will maintain independent authority to determine the date when student-athletes in any sport can commence on-campus training and practices.
• ACAC members will retain the option to exercise Manifest Hardship at any time to withdraw from any or all ACAC sport participation at any time for any reason, without sanction or penalty.
• No spectators will be permitted at ACAC indoor competitions until further notice.

More details will be shared as planning for the 2021-22 ACAC season evolves.

The Kodiaks noted that protecting the health, safety and well-being of both the campus community, as well as the general population at large, “remains paramount”.

No post-secondary sport programming will start without the approval of Alberta Health Services and the Saskatchewan Health Authority.