Student-athletes at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts were shocked to learn about the abrupt discontinuation of the D-III school's varsity tennis program.
According to 22News, student-athletes reported that the school had discontinued the program without warning last Monday.
Tennis athletes would had already committed to Holyoke are now in a difficult position, as college decision day passed on May 1, leaving those students with no other options. As a result, the students are demanding a two-year extension to the school's tennis program to help with the transition. They have collected over 2,500 signatures on an online petition opposing the school's decision.
“Some of us want to pursue careers within athletics," tennis player Catherine Vavara told 22News. "To do that it is expected that you get four years of a collegiate sport at a varsity level. A lot of us want to go to graduate school and an incomplete varsity sport commitment may hurt us in the admissions process. We’ve also been playing tennis since we were little and we’ve been training so hard to get recruited into college.”
On May 13th, in a message to students from Mount Holyoke College, President Danielle Holley said that the tennis program is no longer ‘sponsored’ and they are working with those impacted to ensure a smooth transition.
