• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
      Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
    • CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
      CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
    • WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
      WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • Andrew tate: ending the cycle of toxic masculinity
      Andrew tate: ending the cycle of toxic masculinity
    • Turn it off: healing from news fatigue in the digital age
      Turn it off: healing from news fatigue in the digital age
    • Let them eat bread: the unequal effects of food price inflation
      Let them eat bread: the unequal effects of food price inflation
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • The 95th Academy Awards Nominations: The Cool and The Controversial
      The 95th Academy Awards Nominations: The Cool and The Controversial
    • Lucy Dacus Brings a Minimal Yet Powerful Performance to Northeastern University
      Lucy Dacus Brings a Minimal Yet Powerful Performance to Northeastern University
    • “Glass Onion” Takes Shots at Easy Targets
      “Glass Onion” Takes Shots at Easy Targets
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Sports and Wellness
    • Student-Athlete of October
      Student-Athlete of October
    • Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
      Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
    • The Case for Body Neutrality
      The Case for Body Neutrality
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
      Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
    • Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
      Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
    • The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
      The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Liz Sugg ’23 Health and Wellness, Sports and WellnessMay 2, 2021

Athletes Owe Many Thanks to the PERA Department

Photo Curtesy of Liz Sugg.

As the final weeks of Term 4 approach, there is much to reflect on surrounding how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled on Wellesley’s campus. The staff members of the Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics (PERA) department had a particularly challenging time incorporating the safest practices given the CDC guidelines. PERA staff worked closely with student-athletes over this past year, ensuring their safety while continuing their sport.

Staff members have had to shift their communication tactics to be more fast-paced given the day-to-day implications that the pandemic has posed on the community. The Keohane Sports Center (KSC) has had to shut down on a few different occasions due to positive case notifications among the athletics bubble. Tim Snyder, director of sports performance and fitness, shared comments on his experience working at the KSC with the News.

“Just like successful teams, we have been able to make necessary adjustments in our communication style to still be able to provide opportunities for students. Whenever there has been a potential issue, we’ve heard quickly from the PERA administration. Then we pass the information and action steps down to everyone in our lines of communication. In regards to COVID-19, it is imperative to be efficient with your communication so the information can be shared in an effort to keep the community safe,” Snyder said.

Coaching staff were tasked with the challenge of tailoring workouts and practices to the COVID-19 guidelines instated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, CDC and NCAA. Snyder and others tapped into their creativity to keep athletes performing at the level they were before the pandemic.

“Some of the main adjustments sports performance made were instead of having sessions in the varsity weight room, we moved most of our equipment into the Fieldhouse and held our sessions outdoors whenever possible,” Snyder said. “We created ‘boxes’ that were appropriately distanced that each student-athlete could be in, and provided detailed instructions on how to clean the equipment after use.”

Snyder noted that Wellesley’s student-athletes were very happy to be back in the team environment, even if it was not quite what they were used to. Not all athletes who have been living off-campus had access to the same gym equipment as those on-campus. Fitness staff posted bodyweight workouts on an app called TeamBuildr so remote students could continue to follow an exercise regiment.

Given the novelty of the pandemic, much of the infrastructure the College put into place to keep students and staff members safe was experimental. The PERA staff recognized this and kept lines of communication open between the athletes and the staff members, asking for feedback on how the pandemic was handled.

“It is obviously a difficult situation for all parties involved and I believe we have done an excellent job from President Johnson and senior leadership to PERA to the students living on-campus,” Snyder added. “PERA posted QR codes around the KSC to try to get as much feedback as possible. We felt as though it is important to hear the voice of the students and make adjustments when needed.”

The Wellesley student-athletes are very thankful for the coaching staff that have worked tirelessly to help them reach their fitness and athletic goals given these trying times. Blue Nation is gearing up to make a big comeback for when it is safe to compete again.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleAthletes in the Era of TikTok
Next articleDemystifying Inconclusive COVID-19 Tests

You may also like

Student-Athlete of October

Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022

The Case for Body Neutrality

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

  • Logos of social media apps such as Twitter, Tiktok, Netflix, Spotify, and Discord. Andrew tate: ending the cycle of toxic masculinity
  • Abstract painting of various boxes meant to imply computer and phone screens Turn it off: healing from news fatigue in the digital age
  • The 95th Academy Awards Nominations: The Cool and The Contro...
  • Red envelope that contains money to celebrate the Lunar New Year. America’s cultural appropriation is a modern form of i...
  • A collection of a wide variety of foods in the colors of the rainbow Let them eat bread: the unequal effects of food price inflat...

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2023 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top