In today's COVID 19 environment life has not been the same, especially since sports were shut down. Today, as athletic contests slowly begin again, there is one program that will remain closed indefinitely. The University of Maine at Machias (UMM) varsity athletic program has been shuttered, and for now no one is saying whether it's temporary or permanent.
     On July 21 UMM announced that it was suspending its varsity athletics program effective immediately. The decision leaves 73 student athletes in doubt as to their options to play collegiate sports and two full time employees and four part time coaches without jobs.
     "While the decision to suspend varsity athletics was not easy, we felt that it was the more sustainable choice for our small campus, and we knew that opportunities for athletic participation would still be possible through intramurals and club sports models," says Daniel Qualls, head of campus at UMM. "In order to maintain a balanced budget in the coming fiscal year, we needed to significantly reduce our operating expenses. We had already restructured our budget in the previous year to eliminate inefficiencies, so we found ourselves in the position of having to choose between suspending varsity athletics or suspending an academic program."
     As the university deals with preparations for its fall semester, Qualls says the decision was exacerbated by the added costs associated with providing a safe environment because of the coronavirus. "We used the word 'indefinite' because we wanted to be transparent to students," says Qualls. "We did not want to announce, 'Athletics will be back in one year,' and then not have the ability to bring it back. We were already exploring suspending one team prior to the pandemic, but the budget crisis after the pandemic was the main driver of this decision."

Impact on student athletes
     For senior athletes Caitlyn Lyons and Matthew Kenna, the final nod to their collegiate careers came to a sudden and dramatic end. Both say the communication of the decision was far from perfect, and to a degree unprofessional. While their coach had a meeting via Zoom, the athletes received e-mail notifications that the athletic program was being terminated.
     "I feel terrible for our student athletes who've been impacted by this decision," says Michael Belanger, UMM director of fitness and athletics. "I hope they will continue to pursue their degrees at UMM but completely understand if anyone chooses to continue their athletic careers at another institution. They have my complete support in whatever they choose."
     Lyons, who is majoring in biology and lives in Lubec, was a Washington Academy graduate with a stellar basketball career. During her three seasons at UMM Lyons was a two time All American, garnering a number of individual and team awards. "Personally, this decision has put me between a rock and a hard place," says Lyons. "I'm on track to score 2,000 career points, as well as making another trip to the national tournament. Now, this isn't a goal that I will have the opportunity to reach at UMM. Academically, as well as athletically, it is my senior year, and I have to ask myself if it's worth it to transfer somewhere else to play when I only have a year left."
     "Coaches and players had absolutely no say in the discussions leading up to the decision," says Kenna, a basketball player from Titusville, Fla., and business major at UMM. "We were all kept completely in the dark about this even being a possibility. If players knew this was possible they would have considered transferring back in May/June. Finding out late July makes it so that some of the athletes have no choice but to return to UMM at least this first semester. This impacted me dramatically, as now going into my senior season I have five weeks to find a school where hopefully I can still play ball and finish out my degree."
     UMM Coach and Associate Athletic Director Troy Alley has been involved with UMM athletics both during and since graduating from the school in 1995. He has coached both men's and women's basketball teams since 2015 and periodically coached both soccer teams. He notes the Alley family is vested in UMM athletics, and he personally is devastated by the school's decision to forgo athletic program and his loss of employment after so many years.
     "I believe UMM will lose between 50 and 75 student athletes when it's all said and done," says Alley. "Most recruits have already gone on to other opportunities. Many of our returning student athletes have either transferred or are in the process of transferring to another university or are currently looking. People need to understand these student athletes are the ones impacted the most by this decision. In a world that already has so much uncertainty for them and everyone else, UMM just added more uncertainty. My heart breaks for them."
     He adds, "I believe this will also impact Washington County as a whole. We had a number of local high school athletes that were student athletes at UMM. Some kids wanted to continue their athletic careers locally, and now that opportunity no longer exists."
     Qualls notes that UMM is assisting its student athletes with their decisions and plans for the upcoming semester. "We are assisting students' transfer to other schools with the hopes they will continue to play, possibly in the spring since most fall varsity athletics are on hold," says Qualls. "Additionally, our student athletes that remain will have their athletics scholarships honored through 2023 24."

A partnership for preservation
     While all concerned admit this was a tough decision primarily made because of current financial conditions, it begs the question of what impact the partnership with University of Maine (UM) had on this decision. Many in the community have expressed past concerns on the severe impact to the area should UMM ever close.
     In March 2017 a partnership between UM and UMM was made official when the UM System Board of Trustees approved a partnership agreement to strengthen UMM's unique brand and reduce costs. The partnership's primary objectives centered on seeing an upward trend of enrollment at UMM and financial viability while becoming a regional campus of the UM System. UMM would work to reach the stated objectives while retaining its name and unique, regionally focused mission. Degree and athletic programs would continue, and diplomas would still be awarded and issued by UMM.
     At that time enrollment at UMM was at 750 students, and it was noted that, over a five-year period prior to 2017, enrollment declined by as much as 20%. The new partnership would also allow students who are accepted at UM to attend a smaller school with a more individualized approach if that would be a better fit. At that time, UM President Sue Hunter said there were about 50 students who met that criteria and would be the catalyst to immediately begin increasing student numbers at UMM. Current enrollment for the 2020 fall semester is at 471 students, according to Cara Cushing, assistant director of marketing and communications.

Community responds
     According to retired UMM professor Richard Larson, athletics has been in a constant state of transition ever since the mid-1970s. "Many of the sports UMM has today began as club sports," says Larson. "Back then a student activity fee was collected and paid for much of the costs associated with club sports and athletics, but enrollment was also much higher back then."
     Larson, who taught economics at UMM from 1977 to 2005, admits he and his wife have a soft spot for the athletics program and would contribute to it whenever they could. Larson believes one drain on the program has been the Center for Lifelong Learning, specifically the indoor aquatics area. "The administration in the 1990s believed the center would be self funded by the community with memberships and outside organizations paying to use the facility," says Larson. "That did not materialize, and over time money from the education and general budget went to support the facility. This, too, is when the athletics budget started to see money funneled away."
     Community response has been measured, with many people taking a wait-and-see attitude, while some were a bit surprised by the sudden decision. Speaking from his home in East Machias, Rep. Will Tuell, an ardent athletic supporter, is sorry to see this decision.
     "The decision to suspend UMM's athletic program is certainly a blow to the campus and our community," says Tuell. "I understand from a financial perspective why it was done and from a public health perspective as well. The COVID 19 situation has impacted everything, and money is tighter now than it ever has been. I also think that it could have been rolled out differently, that the campus and local community leaders should have been given a heads up -- and especially the student athletes. Some of that is a product of timing, but it is never a good situation when folks are finding out weeks before the start of the fall semester."