While college campuses around the country remain locked down, student-athletes are finding ways to adjust to the new normal. Still, schools are finding ways to help their student-athletes cope and maintain connection.
One such school is the University of Memphis, where the members of the athletic department — following social distancing guidelines — put together care packages for all of its student-athletes in the U.S. and Canada.
Today athletic department staff took some time to prepare care packages for our student-athletes. Thank you to everyone that helped out!#GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/W0azX5JHVi
— Memphis Tigers (@TigersAthletics) April 14, 2020
According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, associate AD for student-athlete welfare Marlon Dechausay coordinated the effort. AD Laird Veatch was among the officials who participated in compiling the packages, which included such items as snacks, protein drinks and masks.
Currently the only student-athletes allowed to access athletic facilities on campus are those undergoing rehabilitation for an injury — which means that the meals typically provided by the athletic department at those facilities are currently restricted.
"We can't solve all the nutritional problems from this far away for all of our student-athletes but we at least wanted them to know we were thinking of them," Veatch said in a video provided by Memphis athletics.
In sum, about 225 care packages were sent out to the department’s student-athletes.