Dear Jaguars-

As I oftentimes say, we are 300 student-athletes, coaches, and staff, 18 sports, and 1 TEAM!

The past week has been almost indescribable for all of us – a whirlwind of emotion along with unprecedented response to a worldwide pandemic. 

The week began with our women's basketball team winning its first ever Horizon League title and earning a spot in this year's NCAA Tournament. Our lone senior, Holly Hoopingarner, capped a fairytale story by leading our team to the title in front of countless friends and family, while earning Tournament MVP honors. Later, as we all know, that tournament, along with virtually every forthcoming event in the nation, was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the final pages of the story were left unwritten. 

The news that '…all competitions and championships are canceled for the remainder of the academic year…' brought forth feelings of sadness, confusion and angst. It brought forth an eerie silence, unfamiliar in the athletics world at this time of the year. Today's norm is nothing we would have anticipated a month ago. 

We were amidst the best women's golf season in program history and had track athletes primed to earn their first-ever trips to NCAA Regionals later this spring. Other teams were continuing to progress as they were preparing to begin Horizon League play in the coming weeks. 

Part of the unprecedented response is to halt face-to-face instruction, to put the athletic equipment to the side and practice newfound terms, such as 'social distancing' and 'self-monitoring'. However uncomfortable or unnatural these measures may feel, it's important to do so to 'flatten the curve' and slow the spread of COVID-19. 

For our Jaguar student-athletes, I offer the following:
    •  Please know that myself and the athletics department coaches and staff are working diligently on your behalf. Should you need anything during this time, please feel free to reach out directly.
    •  While face-to-face instruction has ceased through the end of the semester, we ask that you remain committed to your online studies and finish the semester on a high note. The expectation for academic excellence remains the same. 
    •  Use this time to refresh and recharge your bodies. We understand the mental and physical toll that athletics can take on you and we encourage you to use this time wisely in an effort to return to competition in a restored mental and physical state. Continue to treat any aches and pains you may be experiencing and allow your mind a break from the rigors of training and competition. The games will eventually resume and we're looking forward to celebrating more and more championships! 
    •  To each and every one of you, THANK YOU. Thank you for representing our university and department in a forthright manner. Thank you for training and competing to the best of your abilities. Thank you for all you do to make us the best department possible. You are the lifeblood of our department and that isn't lost on myself, our coaches, or our staff. 

And finally, let me reiterate, I'm always available to all 260 of our student-athletes. If you have any questions or concerns during this trying time, please contact me directly. 

I look forward to hearing the familiar sounds of practices, training sessions, film sessions and ultimately competition!  We continue to be, "Where Tradition is Created."

GO JAGS!

Dr. Roderick Perry
IUPUI – Director of Athletics