Competitive season or not, Illinois College student-athletes are hard at work on the field and on the court. Though the Midwest Conference announced in July that all league competition for fall and winter sports would be suspended through the end of the calendar year — and Illinois College followed suit, in light of the conference’s
decision — the Blueboys and Lady Blues have been honing their skills and hitting the weight room.

Women’s Soccer center back Emma Chapman ’22 is thankful practices are being allowed. “We’re still putting in the work to get ready to play,” she said. While they are not facing opponents with a crowd in the stands and the Illinois College Varsity Club tent full of supporters, Chapman isn’t the only one working to keep a competitive edge with the help of the College’s state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, as well as academic scholarships, uniforms and more.

Varsity Club member Mark Samaras ’75, who played four years of varsity football and baseball during his time as a student-athlete, said it’s hard to imagine such an unprecedented situation. A longtime member, Samaras said Varsity Club is the best way he can support athletics, which was such an important part of his IC education, and reconnect with former teammates. He and his wife, Julie, who is a staff member in academic support for
Sturtevant Hall, can see how their support makes a difference on campus. A lot of growth has happened in athletics since Samaras was a Blueboy. Varsity Club members like Samaras help support IC’s nearly 500 student-athletes in 20 men’s and women’s NCAA athletic programs. Illinois College Varsity Club is dedicated to reinforcing the overall experience of student-athletes, through resources, equipment, facilities and travel. The Varsity Club helps cover the travel expenses associated with the more than 35,000 miles that IC teams travel to compete in a normal year.

This year funds are especially important to cover the added costs for the equipment, programming and cleaning needed to keep student-athletes practicing in a safe and healthy manner. Chapman, a psychology and criminal justice double major, said the support for athletics on the Hilltop was an important factor in her decision to come to IC.

“I knew that the campus was kind of a close-knit community and I knew athletics was something really big here,” she said. “I just wanted to come to a school that also placed that importance on athletics and cared about it enough and supported their athletes.”

When she found out this summer that there would not be a fall season, Chapman felt like she lost a sense of purpose in her training. But coming back to campus, she and her teammates returned to practices hopeful for a competitive season in the spring.

The conference plans to resume athletic competition once safe and is exploring the possibility of moving the fall competitive season to spring for football, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, and women’s tennis, according to Athletic Director Mike Snyder.

With contact and other restrictions, teams are focusing on technical skills, conditioning and strength training. Defensive end A’Ron Washington ’23 said it has been important for him to be able to practice with his IC Football teammates and the guidance of his coaches.

“I knew what drills I needed to do, but I didn’t have someone telling me the small little things just to make my game that much better,” he said. “And by me being out there on the field with my coaches and also my teammates pushing me, it just helps me make myself and my team that much better.”

The kinesiology and exercise science major said the football team welcomed a lot of first-year students this fall. Remembering his first-year — learning as he went through the season — Washington thinks the situation might be a positive for the team.

“I like it better this way, because the first-years, they can start to understand and learn defense and offense better. It’s kind of like a growing period, as I see it,” he said. “I know a lot of my teammates would like to be back out there playing football — so do I — but I really think this is a good time for us to grow and just really develop and learn.”

To join the IC Varsity Club, visit www.ic.edu/icvc.