Central Michigan University Athletics
Teammates
3/17/2020 9:23:00 AM | General, Fire Up Chats
Michael Alford Fire Up Chat
As an individual who prides himself on strategy and process, the position of staring into the unknown is admittedly foreign territory for me.
Yet this is where I, like my colleagues around the country, have found myself in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The palpable buzz surrounding winter sports championship season, March Madness and spring sports has been replaced by difficult questions about a situation that seems to change by the hour.
Instead of cutting down nets, I have had some of the hardest conversations of my professional career with student-athletes who have seen their seasons and careers come to an abrupt conclusion.
In the wake of its absence from our arenas and television screens, I think it's an appropriate time to focus on some of the great lessons we learn from college athletics.
Â
Our coaches talk often about the need for resiliency in the face of adversity. This is the attitude that our athletics department will take into their day-to-day work.
During uncertain times we will be certain to keep student success as our top priority. I've called for an all-hands-on-deck approach from our staff to ensure the academic, physical well-being and mental health needs of our student-athletes are met even if those areas are not traditionally in their job descriptions.
While we may employ different skill sets, we are unified in our desire to see our young men and women succeed.
One of the great joys of my profession is watching what happens when student-athletes don the maroon and gold for the first time. These elite athletes with their own unique story begin to realize they are part of something greater.
They go from being an "athlete" to a "teammate."
Teammates work together, they win together, but most importantly they care for one another.
Our Chippewa Athletic Fund members and season ticket holders are phenomenal teammates and we cannot thank you enough. While your generosity helps our student-athletes succeed in competition, we also want you to know that your support allows us to provide critical support to our student-athletes during times like these.
As the days unfold, our university and athletics department will continue to follow guidelines set forth by the CDC and health experts and we implore you to do the same. Although it sometimes requires hard decisions, we must do what we can to keep our communities safe. Â
Know that we will get through this and our collective efforts will ensure that we see our student-athletes back in action and competing for championships sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, we will care about our students and we will care about each other. That's what a good teammate does and that's the CMU way.
Fire up Chips!
Â
Yet this is where I, like my colleagues around the country, have found myself in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The palpable buzz surrounding winter sports championship season, March Madness and spring sports has been replaced by difficult questions about a situation that seems to change by the hour.
Instead of cutting down nets, I have had some of the hardest conversations of my professional career with student-athletes who have seen their seasons and careers come to an abrupt conclusion.
In the wake of its absence from our arenas and television screens, I think it's an appropriate time to focus on some of the great lessons we learn from college athletics.
Â
Our coaches talk often about the need for resiliency in the face of adversity. This is the attitude that our athletics department will take into their day-to-day work.
During uncertain times we will be certain to keep student success as our top priority. I've called for an all-hands-on-deck approach from our staff to ensure the academic, physical well-being and mental health needs of our student-athletes are met even if those areas are not traditionally in their job descriptions.
While we may employ different skill sets, we are unified in our desire to see our young men and women succeed.
One of the great joys of my profession is watching what happens when student-athletes don the maroon and gold for the first time. These elite athletes with their own unique story begin to realize they are part of something greater.
They go from being an "athlete" to a "teammate."
Teammates work together, they win together, but most importantly they care for one another.
Our Chippewa Athletic Fund members and season ticket holders are phenomenal teammates and we cannot thank you enough. While your generosity helps our student-athletes succeed in competition, we also want you to know that your support allows us to provide critical support to our student-athletes during times like these.
As the days unfold, our university and athletics department will continue to follow guidelines set forth by the CDC and health experts and we implore you to do the same. Although it sometimes requires hard decisions, we must do what we can to keep our communities safe. Â
Know that we will get through this and our collective efforts will ensure that we see our student-athletes back in action and competing for championships sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, we will care about our students and we will care about each other. That's what a good teammate does and that's the CMU way.
Fire up Chips!
Â
WBB Broadcast Recap at Valparaiso
Friday, December 19
Cinematic Recap - MBB vs Olivet
Friday, December 19
Gymnastics Locker Room Tour (2025 Update)
Friday, December 19
GameAbove Sports Bowl Introductory News Conference
Friday, December 12