So what is going to happen to College skiing?

[Horton]

College Teams have already missed a Spring and a Fall season. The 2021 Spring season is likely canceled and who knows about the fall. Are we in danger of losing teams? College skiing is important for tournament skiing as a whole.

[Taperflex]

Auburn University skis at my lake. So far, the university is not letting them do anything, including collecting dues. At this point, I don’t know if they’ll ever get back on track. I don’t see them making a comeback until next fall, at the earliest. Kids these days seem to lose interest fast.

[MISkier]

Our regular, non-collegiate tournaments saw an increase in tournament participation by collegiate skiers (and recent graduates) in 2020. We had higher attendance at those and at our State Championship than usual years - quite a bit higher, actually. Collegiate tournaments scheduled here were converted to non-NCWSA class C and were closed to non-MI skiers. Our kids (and recent grads) still skied, but not against any other schools or out-of-State folks. I imagine we will do the same this year, if that happens.

 

We have enough regular events to keep that group on the water. And, with everything else that was closed last year (concerts, other indoor events tailored for that age group), they were really looking for something to do. We filled up our tournaments.

[MI3Eventer]

@MISkier definitely echo what you are saying!

 

There is still some hope for the spring season to happen in 2021 and I hope for the kids that they can have nationals and all stars!

 

The kids that are already involved in the sport are really hankering to get back into the sport, but my main concern is the lack of recruiting of recreational and non-skiers we have had due to this. I don't think we will see the full results of this until about 3 years from now.

[liquid d]

Why would we cancel a season of collegiate skiing? We have tournaments without any issues. The world has not stopped. College football stadiums had 1/4 capacity....11,000 for mine. There is no reason to cancel it. Keep your distances and wear masks. The world has gone nutz.

[jgills88]

As someone who's talked to a lot of college teams, basically across the country teams are "hibernating". They (for the most part) can't ski per university rules, but they've been recruiting from friends and friends of friends.

 

Very few teams are on the water, which means that we might get some new teams at NCWSA Nationals this spring, and next fall (assuming there's a normal season) there might be a drop in talent.

 

Hopefully new teams (namely Akron, Georgia Tech, Lander, and Oklahoma State) will stick around after their initial runway of an experienced skier being in school.

 

If you want to help out, please reach out to your local team! I'm sure they'd appreciate any help from AWSA skiers who can provide the stability of team leadership that extends more than the 4 years of college.

[Broussard]

@liquid d Teams are governed by the Office of Student Organizations or Club Sports departments at their local universities. In order to remain in good standing with the university, they are required to follow the rules and regulations placed upon them.

 

Near every team in the country has been barred from competing last Spring and Fall. Universities are still making decisions about Spring 2021 but things do not seem promising.

 

While the NCWSA could sanction tournaments, it would not make sense to do so if most or all teams are not allowed to compete.

[z_skier]

My former team is allowed to practice, but only in designated cohorts with less than 10 people at the lake at a time. Rules are strict (sport clubs) but skiing is happening. Competition has been completely barred however.

[6balls]

So...if a person had a boat, and it wasn't a sanctioned practice, and just happened to invite team members to come ski? I'd do it.

[Broussard]

@6balls Collegiate skiers are definitely still skiing and last fall many competed in AWSA sanctioned tournaments.

[liquid d]

If it gets canned, how about they get a free USA waterski membership, and 1/2 price tourney entries? That ought to keep some numbers up.

[ToddL]

The TxSU Ski Team has had a very stressful and uphill battle to return to skiing. Both their host site leadership and the college rec sports overly cautious policies have put up barriers. Neighboring schools/ski teams have been skiing/practicing and some have had the approval to even travel for competitions. The TxSU team was/is at risk of dissolving. My son has even considered changing schools so as to restore and salvage his "collegiate" skiing experience. NCWSA has not been able to provide any support that I can see.

 

I provided a very detailed proposal (attached) to allow for college skiers to at minimum ski and compete as individuals. It is a very radical idea, but something like that could have let those who were willing and able to ski to continue to do so. Each school comes at the question of sports from very different contexts & local regulations, and school policies may or may not consider each individual club/rec sport in terms of its actual risks/mitigations. Rather, many schools either fully ban all activities or only allow NCAA ($$) activities. Many collegiate teams who were practicing were likely doing so out of sight and without explicit permission of the schools.

 

Yes, it is a huge risk to the sport. Yes, it does need a radical and out-side-of-the-box solutions and options.

 

 

[Broussard]

@ToddL A majority of teams are not allowed to travel or compete this year. Unfortunately this decision is up to club sports or student organizations at the respective universities. NCWSA has little to no pull with universities, so I am not sure what kind of support the organization could provide. I would love to hear any suggestions you may have.

 

Texas State's relationship with SMRR is an entirely different discussion.

 

Since many teams were not allowed to travel or compete this fall, AWSA sanctioned tournaments were hosted and college students were given entry fee discounts. Allowing individuals to compete in NCWSA sanctioned events when their respective institution is not allowing them to travel or compete is asking for trouble.

 

Say “Big Al” decides to ski in a tournament sanctioned under the NCWSA even though sports clubs / student organizations are not allowing the Alabama water ski team to travel of compete..

1) “Big Al” is a current student at the University of Alabama

2) “Big Al” is a member of the Alabama Water Ski Team at U of A

3) The Alabama Water Ski Team at U of A is affiliated with the NCWSA

4) U of A has banned sports clubs from competing in Spring 2021

4) “Big Al” has previously represented the University of Alabama in NCWSA competitions

 

So there are no issues with “Big Al” skiing in an NCWSA sanctioned event as long as the letters “ALA” don’t appear beside his name in the scorebook?

[MattP]

The state of the sport is still strong. There are students still running teams and actively recruiting. Many teams are still allowed to practice and some can even travel. It is changing week to week for each school. In the SAC we only have 1 team that is allowed to compete as of today.

 

We have had multiple schools get started on getting new teams off the ground. Many of the skiers ventured into AWSA for the first time this fall to find ways to still be on the water and see their friends. @liquid d when are you hosting the 1/2 event?

 

There will be plenty of Spring AWSA events college skiers could enter and the NCWSA All-Stars in May @ Laku Landing.

____

 

@ToddL Your sons team is not alone. There are many that have struggled to return to the water but across the board this has been the case for almost all sports form the Grade School through College level. It's a pandemic. Every organization and entities involved are doing what they think is best and we can't fault them for that. You can't compare each school to anther though we all really want to. There are college teams that share a lake where one can practice and another can't. I am a high school coach the team next door to us has been traveling and competing for months and we won't possibly for another moth and we are all ok with that. It is not ideal but it's what our leadership has decided.

 

Changing schools during a pandemic to save a college skiing experience that won't happen this year seems like a drastic move. Skiing is a huge part of being on a ski team but the the best part are the relationships, friendships and leadership experience the ski team members learn. Building a team back up after this well be tough for all college club sports not just skiing. I don' think he should lose all hope, helping to build a team is very rewarding. If I remember correctly you are a boat owner on a ski lake. Have you been able to invite your son and his friends out to ski as individuals and not a team sanctioned event?

 

I have discussed with the teams I work with on how to approach their Club Sports departments, show them the USAWS Guidelines for Covid-19 as well as being available myself to speak with their Club Sports leadership if necessary or write them a letter as a representative of the Region Leadership. Has your son asked for NCWSA support? What kind of help does he need? Has he reached out to his region Chairman & Vice-Chairman? What kind of support do you think we at NCWSA can provide him that I have not already listed? We are here to help our member teams in any way we can.

 

There are virtually no NCWSA Sanctioned Tournaments (only 1) happening in the country but skiers have ventured into AWSA and this is a great way for them to seek water time on their own accord outside of a school sanctioned team event in their own age division. The NCWSA also put in place an eligibility waiver since last spring through this spring.

 

I have read through the proposal and I do not see what you are trying to accomplish here. It looks like you are trying to reinvent the wheel when it is still rolling. No NCWSA events are taking place and unaffiliated college skiers are able to participate in NCWSA if those tournaments were happening on A-Team, B-Team or as Age Division depending on their regions rules.

 

All college skiers can enter a AWSA Tournament as an Individual. Team skiing is built into WSTIMS and the host can group skiers under any rules they want for a friendly competition combining age division scores together.

 

 

 

@JeffSurdej @tvaio @Driggski @Broussard

[ToddL]

@Broussard - did you read the attachment? Big Al isn't skiing for any college. Big Al isn't contributing to any team score. Big Al is just a skier who happens to be in college.

 

Let's look at this from a completely opposite angle. How can NCWSA welcome skiers who don't have a ski team, but are college students? This proposal addresses that question. If a school is banning team sports, then essentially there is no team at that school for that semester. It doesn't exist. That makes these college students who happen to like to ski around buoys simply that. The proposal treats any college student who's school doesn't have a valid team as a welcome participant at a competition. The difficulty that I tried to address in the proposal was how can these individuals participate without compromising the activity of those valid and active ski teams competing? How can the two situations coexist at the same event? Thus, all the focus on ensuring there would be NO grouping of the unaffiliated individuals' scores by educational institution was needed to ensure that true team competition continues without impact. Further, such a change would not open floodgates overwhelming LOCs, etc. Not every individual is ready to resume activity, either. Plus if if did result in a huge influx of unaffiliated skiers, isn't that exactly the most desired, #1 hope for our sport anyway?

 

My comment about NCWSA support was not eluding to any expectation that they brow beat university leadership. I am sorry that I did not elaborate initially. My criticism is that they really resisted going outside the current model to address the desire of the individuals who want to ski and happen to be in college. The mandate of "team" affiliation is the actual barrier to current participation in our sport for collegiate skiers.

[unksskis]

Is NCWSA adapting any eligibility exceptions for these times? Wasn't it 4 Fall and Spring semesters within 6 years?

 

Edit; Yes they are.

[ToddL]

@MattP - My son did all of that and more. He met frequently with the club sports manager within their Rec Sports Department. He provided all of the USAWS protocols. He found a way to ensure that all skiers had personalized gear and that there would be zero sharing of team equipment (TXSU school proposed rule). He explained that they gather only outside, they have the means to keep 6 ft apart. They would limit boat occupancy to driver, observer with both masked. They use soap for goodness sake to put on bindings. You know the same soap that people are recommended to wash hands with. It goes on and on. Still, they would not budge on the one-size-fits-all sports policies. He is the team captain and has had discussion with NCWSA region board members and the other two Texas teams (who were never prevented from skiing, and who both are allowed to compete).

 

He has always skied AWSA events during the summer. We know that is an option. But NCWSA events require team affiliation which goes back to my response above to @Broussard.

[AmandaLR]

I can't talk for all teams, but the Iowa State collegiate team has gotten to practice. I feel like for us this covid thing might have been more beneficial. My teammates have gotten time to practice on the water, without the stress of helping the team get more points. Recruiting was definitely hard this semester, just because there was not tournaments for them to experience and truly fall in love with the collegiate atmosphere. As for the more competitive skiers on the team, we made trips to different AWSA sanctioned events to ski and keep competing. But we are still hoping that the collegiate ski season will go back to normal next year!

[Broussard]

@ToddL

If a school is banning team sports, then essentially there is no team at that school for that semester. It doesn't exist.

That statement is flawed. Just because a university is not allowing club sports to compete does not mean that the club/team is considered inactive in the eyes of the university.

 

I understand your thought process, but it would put teams at a great deal of risk. Let's take your son for example:

 

1) Matt is currently enrolled at Texas State University

2) Matt competed in NCWSA competitions in the Fall of 2019

3) Matt is a member (and team captain) of the Texas State Water Ski Team (which is considered an active organization in they eyes of the university)

4) The Texas State Water Ski Team is affiliated with the NCWSA

5) Texas State has banned sports clubs from competing for Spring 2021.

 

Do you not think Texas State would have issues with Matt competing in NCWSA sanctioned tournaments as an "unaffiliated skier?"

 

The mandate of "team" affiliation is the actual barrier to current participation in our sport for collegiate skiers.

A skier can participate in NCWSA tournaments without being affiliated with a team. Skiers can compete as B team skiers or in their age division if the region allows.

[ToddL]

I get what you are saying but this is an individual sport activity where individual scores are aggregated into the concept of a team score. I think this reality is lost on so many.

[ToddL]

@AmandaLR - and I think your experience is wonderful! I sincerely hope that more teams also found the time away from competition as an opportunity to develop relationships, explore comradery on the water and grow as a team! Unfortunately, not every team had the means to even practice during this time. My son would have loved to have had your experience during this time.

[MattP]

@unksskis we have not extended the 6 years. Only gave forgiveness to those that skied in a tournament from the start of last spring through the end of this spring. We do take appeals on eligibility for those that think that this has adversely affected them.

 

@ToddL Sounds like Matt did everything possible for his team for that he should be commended greatly. It is not easy to run a team.

 

The mandate of "team" affiliation is the actual barrier to current participation in our sport for collegiate skiers

Please show me where this mandated.

I am in agreement with @Broussard I skied unaffiliated which sparked my interest in starting a team. At no point do we discourage any skier who is in college from skiing in a NCWSA Tournament.

 

We are not in the situation that you describe so your document is currently not needed. Schools are not banning teams. They can still exist, recruit, have meetings and raise funds. They can't practice or travel outside their city. For campus SAFTEY reasons.

 

Therefore having a skier go to an NCWSA tournament and ski who is affiliated with a team who is currently not allowed to travel would be breaking school policy and possibly get that team suspended or canceled. Has this happened this year? - Yes. Did we work it out - Yes.

It is not worth the risk to our member teams to ski in NCWSA tournaments at this time. Therefore we do not have any. Skiers could go ski AWSA as in individual.

 

I'm not sure you fully understand the current state of the sport division and how it operates. Call me happy to talk about it.

 

 

PSA: IF YOU ARE IN COLLEGE GO SKI A COLLEGE TOURNAMENT REGARDLESS IF YOU HAVE A TEAM.

 

 

@amandalr great to hear! I have heard a lot of the same stories this past year. Teams focusing on themselves and not the rush to get to tournaments every weekend.