General | March 19, 2020
"Inside the L" is a feature series developed this past fall, taking an inside look at the teams and people that make up La Salle Athletics. In the latest edition, La Salle University senior baseball student-athlete and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president Erik Janss pens a letter to the La Salle community with a special message.
To the La Salle Athletics Community,
I write to offer perspective and hope in this time of great uncertainty, hardship, and loss. Though some may say we have only lost a season, those who played, coached, assisted from behind the scenes know we have lost so much more.
We lost the countless hours spent working on our craft, time away from families and friends and so much more. It is impossible to encompass what each group is feeling and going through in a blanket statement. Instead, I offer a brief letter to athletes, coaches, administrators, families, and fans individually.
To the athletes: We are all devastated. We are all confused. We are all trying to figure out how to adjust to a life that does not revolve around practice, gym times, and class. Though we may have lost our sports, our sport is not what defines who we are. We are sisters, brothers, daughters and sons. A disruption in our season is not enough to take that away from us. It is important to know that you are not alone. Reach out to friends, teammates, family members. There is a sense of hope in the athletic community that one day, one day soon, we will be back out on the field competing in the sports we love.
To the coaches: All the hours spent recruiting, planning trips, spending time away from family members has not been for naught. It has been you who put the resilience, drive and ambition in your athletes. It is these characteristics that they will use to get through this time.
To the administration: You have been presented with the challenge of navigating unprecedented times. On behalf of all the student-athletes, thank you. Your tireless work does not go unnoticed. The hours you put in to make everything we do possible deserves the highest praise. I know some may be criticizing the decisions made recently but deep down everyone knows that these decisions were incredibly tough and were made in the best interest of the community as a whole. You made the right call.
To the families: You may have been as heart-broken as the athletes, perhaps wondering what all those hours spent taking your athlete to and from practice. It is you who we lean on during these times. The time away from school, work and sports offers a great opportunity to make up for lost family time and reconnect.
To the fans: Thank you for your continued support. The enthusiasm you show towards each athlete makes the hours put in worth it. Hearing that we may play to empty stadiums was a blow to the ribs. That is how much having you there to watch us means to us.
Together we must remember this is bigger than sports. We must use this time to show the deepest compassion for everyone effected, no matter how they are effected. Our lives may have been disrupted but we must remain hopeful that before too long we will have triumphed over COVID-19 like many other obstacles in our lives. The decisions may have caused indescribable pain, but we must remember at the end of the day this is bigger than us. This is for everyone. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay hopeful.
Sincerely yours,
Erik Janss
La Salle Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President
Atlantic 10 SAAC Chair
NCAA Division I SAAC Representative
