By Ethan Ready

TWolves Soccer

Sports serving as larger “break from the books” as coaches take on broader role

Feb 19, 2021 | 6:00 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It can be argued the role of a coach has changed due to the pandemic, especially at the university level.

With student-athletes sacrificing time to be at home with their families for time on campus studying and training, coaches have needed to not only adjust their training methods to meet guidelines laid out before them but also coach in a way that their student-athletes see a purpose in even being there.

Spending time focusing on team morale has been top of mind for coaches like UNBC Women’s Soccer Neil Sedgwick.

“Certainly the loss of games is a big piece for them. We always train through the Spring. We train four or five times a week but they have that carrot at the end and that’s the games in March or early April. We don’t have that. So, yeah, motivation could certainly wain.”

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Sedgwick says he’s in full understanding of the weight his players might be feeling with all study now being online, admitting some players have put student before athlete and have missed practice as a result, but acknowledged each of their commitment to being in Prince George.

“For me, it is a matter of focusing more on their own development and watching them individually to ensure that things are going well for them. Certainly, I’m fully understanding there are other things going on in their lives. While we’re not getting out and about they’re certainly dealing with classes online and other issues that they come across. We’re understanding of that within the training environment.

Many players on the UNBC Women’s Soccer team admit that while they hail from outside of Prince George, returning to campus and training with their teammates has served as a social release from reality.