What defines an ‘elite’ athlete?
Ontario’s Current Definition Remains Vague and Requires a Reassessment
While the pandemic has impacted the lives of everyone, one group that has been (and continues to be) neglected and uncredited during the pandemic are university and collegiate athletes, especially those in the province of Ontario. On January 5th, 2022, Ontario enacted stricter public health measures in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant within the province, including the closure of “non-elite” gyms and training facilities and the barring of fans at various sporting events, including professional leagues such as the NHL and the NBA.
Although Ontario has enacted similar COVID-19 restrictions prior, specifically during the Canada-wide lockdown in the early stages of the pandemic, this was the first time OUA (Ontario University Athletics) athletes were barred from practicing in university facilities, bringing a screeching halt to their seasons. These new provincial restrictions against OUA athletes combined with the closure of “non-elite” gyms and training facilities have sparked enormous outrage and discontent from university and collegiate-level athletes alike as “elite” professional athletes were exempted from these restrictions and their seasons were allowed to proceed, thus creating a serious divide between university athletes and professional athletes.
According to a CBC article, the “Return to Play” policy established in 2020 allowed for several elite amateur leagues to continue operation despite the winter 2021-2022 provincial restrictions. Out of the seven elite amateur leagues listed, the OUA and OCAA (Ontario College Athletics Association) remained excluded from this list. Although Ontario’s reason for separating university and college athletes from other “elite” athletes in amateur leagues throughout the province remains unknown, the province’s current definitions of “elite” athletes should be challenged and perhaps redefined, even after the current COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. The recent outrage from many OUA athletes has and continues to challenge Ontario’s current definition and classification of “elite” athletes.
In an interview with The Innis Herald, a few players representing the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s basketball team were asked what they believe defines an “elite” athlete. Jess Muha says, “In Ontario, we’re competing at the highest level offered for where we’re currently at in life.” Lauren Boer adds to Muha’s statement and says, “Not only do we put in a tremendous amount of work every day, but the amount of work it took to get to where we are supersedes everything.”
During Muha’s and Boer’s interview, they also mention how Ontario, as well as Canada, currently lacks a professional women’s basketball league, thus emphasizing the highest achievement in Ontario for female university and collegiate athletes. Muha and Boer’s statements on what they believe define elite athletes not only describe the current experiences of university and collegiate athletes in Ontario but more importantly, the experiences of female university and collegiate athletes within the province, who often go unrecognized and neglected.
Fiorella Granada believes that being classified as “elite” not only includes the amount of hours spent training and practicing, but also the level of skill and talent that an athlete possesses. “There is both a qualitative and quantitative aspect to it because you can base an elite athlete off the number of hours they put into training, film, practice, etc., but there’s also the skill aspect. In the OUA in particular, both the qualitative and quantitative aspects are demonstrated because across the OUA there are so many athletes at high calibre universities, like ours, who put the blood, sweat, and tears into their sport each day, and also have to deal with the pressures of school, which is not an easy task.”
Granada also mentions how participating in athletics while simultaneously studying in university builds important life skills. “I think it’s something that’ll help you grow in the future and it’s bigger than just being in university. I think it makes me an elite person.” Christine Jurcau adds to Fiorella Granada’s definition by adding the importance of balancing the challenges of mental health along with everything else while being a university athlete. “Across the OUA, all athletes of all sports are working every single day. Whether it’s practice or your own additional methods, and even your nutrition and mental health, fulfilling and balancing these tasks defines us as elite.”
During the interview with the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues women’s basketball team players, significant amounts of emphasis were put on the importance of remembering that both university and collegiate athletes in Ontario are also university or college students at some of Canada’s highest and most elite institutions, which is often forgotten about. As university and collegiate athletes pursue their degrees while simultaneously striving to achieve their athletic goals, significant amounts of time and effort are required from their daily lives to do so. University and collegiate athletes are expected to maintain their school’s academic standards (including their own) along with their athleticism, thus also playing a key factor in their mental health.
The importance of mental health and wellness has also arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic as mental health continues to play a defining role, perhaps the most important role, not just for professional athletes, but especially university and collegiate athletes as they are expected to maintain their athleticism along with their academic standards, and even a part- or full-time job for some athletes.
Another important factor that must be considered is accessibility as many university and collegiate athletes may lack access to the various equipment or even space needed to maintain their athleticism. Lack of accessibility has not only affected ordinary citizens but perhaps more significantly, university and collegiate athletes throughout the current pandemic. During the province’s current COVID-19 restrictions, the Varsity Blues players mentioned how they have been forced to train outside as an alternative during the current winter season instead of indoors, which is not ideal as freezing temperatures combined with snowy weather continue to add another layer of barriers that university and collegiate athletes must endure.
The recent additions of Ontario’s new COVID-19 restrictions have only continued to alter and complicate the lives of university and collegiate athletes, thus also altering their mental health in the process. Even beyond current COVID-19 restrictions, the province of Ontario’s current definitions and classifications of “elite” athletes should be reassessed as the required tasks of university and collegiate athletes include balancing athletics, academics (additionally online learning), part- or full-time jobs, and most importantly their mental health. The ability and even the required efforts to balance these tasks should rightfully be defined and classified as “elite.”
References
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/opinion-shireen-ahmed-oua-ocaa-athletics-suspended-1.6310114