STUDENT ATHLETES HEAD BACK TO JOHN ABBOTT COLLEGE, COVID-STYLE

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (Québec) - August 10, 2020.So much has changed since the College and the province shut down March 13, 2020. Like every other school, classes, projects, exams were all online. Teams met on ZOOM or Teams to exercise, discuss their sport and stay connected.

What will the Fall 2020 season look like? Will athletes come back? Will the coaching staff?

Varsity team training camps at John Abbott officially began this past weekendfor men's & women's soccer. Football takes to the field this evening. Lacrosse, on Wednesday.
The protocols for safety are of critical importance. Sanitizing, spacing, exposure are top of mind for all.

Patrice Lemieux, Manager of the Sports & Recreation department at Abbott says:
??oeWe are being as safe as possible. Every precaution is being taken. Student athletes are coming from so many different households, and regions. We want it to be safe for our students, our families - everyone.

We are applying all the rules set out in the College COVID-19 protocols as well as the respective sport association rules - whichever set of directives is most restrictive, that's the one we are applying.”

This year will look very different on the sidelines as well. Coaches sixty years of age or older, have a family member that is vulnerable or simply don't feel comfortable will not be with the team in person, they won't be on the sidelines, leaving a massive gap- decades of experience and understanding of the game - to younger coaches that are stepping up and playing a bigger role.

We've all learned that things are moving and changing quickly, sometimes daily. Being careful, being mindful of each other and our community, we look to a new school year, COVID-style.

About John Abbott College
John Abbott College is a public Anglophone college serving students since 1971. Today, the increasingly diverse student body includes 6500 fulltime day students per semester and an additional 2000 continuing education students per year.
John Abbott is situated on the western tip of the Island of Montreal.
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Debbie Cribb
Communications & Media Relations Officer
debbie.cribb@johnabbott.qc.ca
johnabbott.qc.ca