November 15, 2021
Ms. Louise McCleary
Interim Vice President of NCAA Division III
NCAA
700 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN
Dear Ms. McCleary,
Thank-you for your response. We are obviously disappointed for our coaches, their athletes and the championship experience they are about to embark on.
Our challenge to fathom your response is in three areas:
- The discrepancy that DIII athletes experience between the powerful science research the NCAA has released on rest and recovery and then allowing no rest during the championship.
- The concerns of “missed class time” when the prevalence of virtual class time plus time still available on Sunday afternoon and evening to return home, make it largely a moot point.
- The safety of these student athletes versus the bureaucracy put in place theoretically to protect them. The liability potential to the NCAA of an injured DIII soccer player in this circumstance seems staggering.
I appreciate that “referring this to committee” is a safe, sensible step here for the NCAA. Sadly, it leaves dozens of NCAA athletes vulnerable and diminished. For the coaches we represent, that continues to be an equation that is impossible to understand.
United Soccer Coaches continues to extend the offer of paying the $20,000 for the additional costs of that rest day for this year. It would be a very small price to pay to create a truly great Championship Experience for Division III women and men’s soccer.
We hope the NCAA will still find a way to fix this problem for the 2021 Division III championships. If not resolved, however, United Soccer Coaches will continue resolutely to advocate for this change on behalf of our Division III coaches and their athletes.
Sincerely,
Lynn Berling-Manuel
Chief Executive Officer