Illustration by Kate Nuelle

Like many facets of student life at Trinity, club and intramural sports will look different this fall.

Intramural sports will be allowed to continue, but there will only be individual and virtual competitions. Similarly, club sports will be able to have practices but will not be allowed to have any competitions on or off campus. Both club and intramural sports are expected to follow the safety guidelines of Trinity University as well as the City of San Antonio.

Kristen Harrison, the Associate Athletic Director for Recreation and Sports Camp, said that the two main criteria when deciding what would be allowed were social distancing and wearing a mask at all times. Despite the new regulations, many events will still be able to occur, such as the annual Turkey Trot, which will still take place the week before Thanksgiving.

“Students, faculty, and staff can run or walk 2.1 miles and submit a screenshot of their workout to earn a T-shirt,” Harrison said. “TU Recreation is also partnering with TU Gaming to host an eSports Tournament. There will be individual intramural tournaments including disc golf, tennis, pickleball, badminton, table tennis and more.”

The equestrian team has already started practices this week for students who are in San Antonio. This semester, there will still be weekly lessons, and team practices will be held once a month in three different time slots to allow for social distancing. The price to participate on the equestrian team has been halved since there will be no competitions this semester, opening the door for students with no experience to take a chance on equestrian.

“While most sports have to be modified or cancelled due to the pandemic, our weekly lessons serve as an outlet for students who would otherwise be spending most of the day in their dorms, isolated from the world. It’s a great way to de-stress and safely connect with others, especially during COVID,” junior on the equestrian team Anna Buteau said. “Now that I’m back at the barn and taking lessons, I feel more relaxed and happier and I can better deal with the stress of school and the pandemic. And I know my teammates feel the same way.”

Like the equestrian team, the rugby team will not be competing this fall. Many team members are participating in classes remotely, and the new guidelines that call for social distancing at practices have made a fall season impossible. According to Grant Kinscherff, a senior on the rugby team, there may be practices, but there will be no contact allowed and a maximum of eight people. This does not allow for tackling and other contact drills that would happen at a more normal practice.

“I’m cautiously optimistic for the semester. It stinks that club and intramural sports can’t happen for at least the first semester of my senior year but that’s how it’s gotta be right now, ” senior on the rugby team David Stiles said.

All policies are subject to change based on the COVID-19 situation, and policies will continue to be aligned with ProtectTU and the City of San Antonio throughout the year.