GCU played waiting game amid COVID

(Reprinted from GCU Magazine. In photo, GCU women's volleyball head coach Tim Nollan delivers shutdown news to his team in March.)

Masks are no longer only seen on Grand Canyon University baseball and softball catchers.

Testing is something student-athletes do regularly outside of GCU classes now.

"Practice, practice, practice" is not just advice. It Jamie Boggs

has been the only athletic outlet for the Lopes since March 12.

As with every facet of college life, GCU Athletics endured a profound punch from the COVID-19 pandemic this year. And the Lopes are more than still standing. They are training, practicing, competing and studying with everything except the usual games that count in the standings.

A synergistic University approach has kept student-athletes safely preparing for a return to competition, which occurs Wednesday with a men's basketball home game against Grambling State.

"I'm really thankful to be at a place like GCU," GCU Interim Vice President of Athletics Jamie Boggs said. "To get Athletics to where it is now – up and running, testing protocols in place, resources to support our student-athlete experience, infrastructure, online capabilities for an easy transition – that was all because of work that people across the University have done. That was all in place to give our student-athletes the best possible experience despite a pandemic. We have a great University culture and Athletics is part of that."

The Lopes have come a long way like a cross country runner, knocked away issues like a goalkeeper and navigated the waters like a swimmer.

The GCU women's basketball team, which is slated to open its season Friday, was in its Orleans Arena locker room preparing for a WAC Tournament first-round game on March 12 when the tournament was canceled. All sports competition was suspended. Six days later, the remainder of the spring season was canceled.

"There really wasn't any other decision to make," said Boggs, who was involved in WAC decisions, along with GCU President Brian Mueller and GCU Athletics team physician Dr. Kareem Shaarawy. "You don't even want to take a chance that you put anyone in harm's way. What's best for our student-athletes is always going to be the priority."

The halt shelved the promising seasons of GCU beach volleyball, ranked seventh in the nation, and GCU men's volleyball, ranked 11th in the nation, as well as WAC favorites in baseball, golf and track and field.

Practices halted immediately in March, but medical treatments continued to be offered. Many international student-athletes remained in Phoenix for fear of being unable to re-enter the U.S. in August.

GCU student-athletes were among the first to return to campus over the summer, offering the University a chance to implement and adjust protocols, quarantines, testing and contact tracing while Athletics reconfigured its facilities and methods for social distancing.

It is the only GCU that men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew has ever known. He came aboard as sports were being shut down in March and took the court wearing a mask and safety glasses to run small-group workouts for the first time on July 20.

"I don't think GCU could've done any better than what they've done through this COVID pandemic," Drew said. "The University has been tremendous about making sure our athletes were in a safe environment and able to participate on the floor."

The college sports landscape was shaken with cancellations and cuts, but GCU stayed steady. The athletic department remained fully operational through complex and unpredictable situations.

But as well as the GCU Athletics handled it, the world's struggles continued and fall sports were suspended Aug. 13.

"Everyone was pretty frustrated that our season was being postponed, but it was in the best interest of our health," said GCU junior volleyball player Kayla Matthews, whose fall sport was moved to a late January start. "It was nice knowing that everyone was in the same position. Everyone was empathetic of what was going on. Administration did a great job of understanding our feelings and position we were put in.

"We're definitely going to come back 100 times better this spring, so that was the best decision by Athletics."

GCU coaches spend most of every year making benchmark-laden plans for training and practices. They had to make a new game plan on the fly.

With the NCAA keeping recruiting in a dead period, coaches could no longer travel to recruits or set up campus visits. The game changed again.

"This is a recruiting year like no other in NCAA history," Drew said. "It's very difficult when we can't get our eyes on a player or show them all we have to offer on campus. Thank God for Zoom."

Coaches turned innovative on the fields and courts, too, staging intrasquad games with the feel of regular-season competition – in uniforms, under stadium and arena lights and with public address announcers.

Even when competition resumes, new pandemic predicaments and puzzles will unfold. Venue fan capacity will change. Schedule formats will minimize travel. Nineteen GCU teams are expected to compete during the spring semester.

"Our coaches have been fantastic with keeping our teams together and staying connected," Boggs said. "Our student-athletes are focused on competing and getting to a place where we can win a conference championship. In times of challenge, the leaders really shine. We've seen that in our programs."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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