This story initially appeared on Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, and is being republished with permission from the organization. Alex Frank is the head coach at Dartmouth College.

On March 11, 2020, the Ivy League Presidents announced their unanimous decision to cancel all spring athletics practices and competitions through the remainder of the academic year. When I think about that day, I had two immediate thoughts: How are we going to be there for our players, and will the other conferences follow the lead of the Ivy League?

As we all know, the next day, all spring seasons came to an end, and we watched the start of the COVID-19 pandemic unfold.

During the next five months, we became more familiar with Zoom, FaceTime, Milanote and any other platform to stay virtually connected with each player and the team. With each day that passed, we tried to remain hopeful that September would bring us back together and we would all have the opportunity to return to the field together as a team.

Unfortunately, as fall approached, we were informed that we were going to continue to operate virtually, which had become the new normal. Dartmouth College selected a hybrid method, allowing students to be on campus during specified quarters and learn remotely for others. Under this constraint, if we were allowed to practice in-person during the fall, we would only have a portion of our team on campus, namely the freshmen class and one junior goalkeeper. Our other student-athletes would be expected to train remotely. As a result, Zoom became our primary method of communication for weekly meetings, virtual challenges, team competitions and film sessions.

While our staff worked swiftly and tirelessly to keep all of our student-athletes engaged, my message to the team was to control what we could control. Regardless of what the spring season could look like, we needed to be prepared. Not knowing if there would be team practices, intra-squad scrimmages or conference games was not going to be an excuse or a reason to procrastinate. We had to stay active, healthy and well conditioned; we had to continue to teach and learn and keep a stick in our hands (even if it meant walking around the house with a tennis ball). Most importantly, we had to be there to support each other through these unprecedented times.

As the Ivy League canceled the fall and winter sports seasons, we decided to remain cautiously optimistic that we might return to competition for the spring of 2021. However, as coaches, it was extremely important for us to be transparent in all of our communications, even when that meant expressing concerns or doubt regarding the viability of the upcoming season. Without a definitive timeline, it was difficult to know when decisions would be made about the season. I ended all of our conversations by reminding our team that the Ivy League was making every effort to host a spring season, however, there needed to be substantial improvements in the fight against the pandemic for that to happen.

On February 18, 2021, the Ivy League Council of Presidents made the decision to cancel league competition and league championships this spring, allowing for the possibility of local competition at the discretion of each Ivy League school if public health conditions improved sufficiently to allow greater levels of in-person activity at Ivy League campuses. My initial reaction to hearing the announcement was extreme disappointment for our players, and especially the class of 2021. It is near unimaginable that these players would lose another season. I couldn’t fathom the rollercoaster of emotions and the newfound challenges that these student-athletes could not escape.

Remote learning, virtual training, limited team interactions and a lack of competition had redefined the college experience for our student-athletes. And while I certainly understood and reluctantly accepted the reasoning behind the decisions made by the Ivy League, it was nevertheless a very difficult message to convey to the players. The bottom line: the 2020-21 team would not have the opportunity to play together. Our seniors had come to Dartmouth four years ago with the excitement of attending college and with the anticipation of playing college lacrosse together, only to be left with a significant void in their collegiate experience.

My second thought upon hearing the announcement was a renewed sense of optimism. Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” This is exactly how our staff had to prepare to lead our team through this next phase. The staff had to plan for a variety of different practice scenarios: Who was going to be allowed to be on campus? Who would be allowed to participate in practice? How could we keep everyone engaged in the event that most were still learning remotely? While the practice format and attendance would look different, there might finally be an opportunity to come together on the field. We would also continue our virtual learning but were looking forward to taking advantage of our time on the field together. And the possibility of playing a game against a local team was reason enough to make the most of every unpredictable and extraordinary obstacle.  

We told our players that we needed to accept the circumstances and find a way to get better every day. Whatever the challenge we were experiencing, we were always looking to improve. The message to our team this spring is take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, enjoy being together and use it as motivation to grow as a player and person. While our seniors may never compete in another NCAA game, they have the opportunity to help our younger players become better by sharing their knowledge and experiences of the game, competing hard and pushing their teammates in our practices, continuing to lead by example and by enjoying every minute they have being a part of the Dartmouth program.

Our underclassmen are finding ways to better themselves, whether they are on campus or learning remotely, by participating in our virtual sessions, practicing at home and staying connected with their teammates. If we can continue to take advantage of our opportunities, I know we will be better prepared for when we finally are on the field to compete together as a full team.

I want to end by saying these thoughts and feelings are particular to me and my experience of coaching at an Ivy league school during the pandemic and do not represent the league as a whole. While I could never have imagined my first two seasons as a head coach ending up as they did, I have learned not to take for granted the opportunities I have been given. Whether I am on the field with my players, sitting in a classroom or locker room or in front of another Zoom screen, I will embrace each moment, cherish the time with my student-athletes and figure out how it becomes an opportunity to improve.

As my assistant coach Tee Ladouceur says, “We will make lemonade, even if we have to grow the lemons ourselves!” Good thing the weather is getting nicer in Hanover this spring!