The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1279712
SEPTEMBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 9 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Michigan director of athletics Warde Manuel felt for his student-athletes when it was announced they wouldn't play this fall. He joined the athletic de- partment's Ed Kengerski for a virtual Q&A to shed some light on the month's events, offer his own opinions on foot- ball's cancellation and more: Kengerski: What led to the Big Ten's decision to shut down less than a week after releasing a revised schedule? Manuel: "You get to a point and got to a point where the decision was made that we couldn't move forward. We learned a lot and will still continue to learn a lot. There are a lot of unan- swered questions … a lot of uncer- tainty about those answers and where they're going to go. We're learning a lot from leagues playing now. "We have student-athletes, not pro- fessional athletes. We have to remem- ber that as we go through all of this. These are young people who rely on us to make decisions that are in the best interest of their health and safety." Kengerski: What was your reaction to the news? Manuel: "In thinking about it, in one way it brought an appreciation for all the work, but because of that it's hard, frustrating to get to this point where the decision was made because they put everything into it. We just had an all-out effort in creativity by coaches, strength staff, trainers, facility staff to work so hard. "They're just a few examples of how many people were working hard to make this happen. We'll still have prac- tices, still do it safely and are still follow- ing the protocols, but we just won't be able to play this fall. Given the uncer- tainty at this time, we had to postpone the fall." Kengerski: What do you say to the many people who believe football should still have been played this fall? Manuel: "We have to deal with the fact that we're not going to play this fall. I understand there are people who believe we should. But there's so much uncertainty right now, so many ques- tions about this virus and the impact on the health of the people in this world. So it's not just about athletics and play- ing games. It's really about understand- ing if we play a game, how can we do it as safe as possible? That's the first deci- sion point we're going to make. "There's a lot of creativity, a lot of things being done, but ultimately no- body can tell you exactly how or when somebody's going to contract this vi- rus. Nobody can tell you all of the short- term or long-term effects of getting the virus." Kengerski: What's your reaction to conferences like the SEC, ACC and Big 12 that have proceeded with plans to play? Manuel: "I don't blame them for their way of handling it. I don't hold any ani- mosity for anybody who didn't decide to not play in the fall. I think they have the right and should take that right to make the decisions they find best for them, their student-athletes and their programs." Kengerski: What would you say to your son or daughter if it was their sea- son affected by the shutdown? Manuel: "We are learning. We are fight- ing. This is a lesson for the rest of your life. You can't stop. You have to deal with what's in front of you. You can't ignore it until it goes away; you have to continu- ally work to find a way to move forward in your life. These setbacks occur. "Sports are important to our society, important to me, but not more impor- tant than their education and definitely not more important than their health and safety. To me, we have to make sure we put it in perspective." — Chris Balas Sitting Down With Michigan Director Of Athletics Warde Manuel Manuel noted that the decision to cancel fall sports came down to the fact that student-athletes "are young people who rely on us to make decisions that are in the best interest of their health and safety." PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN