For almost two years, limited travel due to Covid-19 greatly hindered student athletes’ ability to play sports. As Jim McGrath, Intramural Sports and Campus Recreation Manager at NYU Abu Dhabi noted, the pandemic reduced the number of opposition teams and matches as students from other universities were unable to come to campus.

NYUAD has, however, revised health and safety regulations following the eased Covid-19 restrictions in the UAE from Feb. 26 onwards, which included changes to close contact protocol, maximum event capacity and the optional wearing of face masks in public.

According to the recent Return to Campus memo sent out on March 3, the removal of masks in closed areas on campus is now permitted when actively eating or drinking, in an office alone, or even during vigorous exercise. These reduced restrictions have, hence, functioned as a starting point for the NYUAD Athletics department to resume hosting large scale events and provided students with the opportunities to actively and competitively engage in socially distanced athletic activities.

“The transition [to in-person sports in the Fall 2022 semester] started from participating … with masks on and we did that with the first four weeks of the semester [but] starting after spring break we will be mask free so we’re able to get back into team sports like volleyball, basketball futsal and badminton,” McGrath noted. “[Last semester] we had two matches for basketball and one for volleyball but this week we’re playing Abu Dhabi University in men and women’s volleyball, soccer, and touch rugby … we already had a track and swim meet this past weekend with masks on and everyone seemed to have a good time.”

Sophie Bass, member of the NYUAD track team and Class of 2024, shared her enthusiasm for the track meet, especially as an opportunity to meet and network with students from other track teams in Abu Dhabi. “It was my first event that I participated in [at NYUAD] and I was excited to just see what it’s like to have a university-level track meet … and I think some cool opportunities have come with reduced covid restrictions [as we were able] to meet [students from] a couple different universities. It was so much easier to just connect with people.”

Having set the record for the best time for women’s 1500 meters in the Abu Dhabi Inter-University Sports League, Bass went on to express how grateful she was to have a supportive group of coaches, teammates and friends.

“Apart from our practice twice a week on Monday and Wednesday … we try to have a yoga session once a week that’s not really considered as official track practice [but it’s more so] student organized. It shows how much of a community it is, everyone is there because they want to. Waking up early to run even when you have so much going on can be hard and knowing that people are going to be there to support each other makes it enjoyable and fun,” she shared.

Magdalena Bąk, member of the NYUAD track and dragon boat teams and Class of 2024, explained the role of collegiate sports in cultivating similar values of compassion, camaraderie and connection within athletic communities: “I really like having in-person sports cause I feel like it’s so much nicer to start the day like running with my friends or doing dragon boat outside with the fresh air … especially since it’s outside of campus. [To start] the day with conversations with friends rather than Zoom [meetings] ... and meet new people … and build a bigger sense of community.”

Although teams strive to compete, students noted how community building is at the heart and core of their activities. Engaging in play, in many ways, has allowed the student-faculty community to create an inclusive, brave and safe space to be vulnerable, learn and love.

“[Playing] football is one of the big reasons I chose to come to [university] here and I've been looking forward to it for almost two years … scoring the goal was really energetic. It was really nice and it feels like you kind of bring the team together because everyone gets excited for you and with you,” shared Colin Campbell, member of the NYUAD football team and Class of 2024, referring to the friendly match on March 23 against Abu Dhabi University when he scored for the Falcons.

Yuki Fang, member of the NYUAD basketball team and Class of 2024, shared that weekly team practices and Intramural sports has allowed her to be part of a larger collective and build meaningful relationships with staff and faculty at NYUAD: “[Basketball has] been a big part of my semester and it’s something I look forward to every week … everyone is really uplifting and motivated [and it’s so] diverse, in that we have people from all over the world, all grade levels, and all experience levels [where we have] people with zero experience to people who were in their varsity teams in high school.”

Fang went on to add how team practice sessions have allowed her to break the monotony of her routine, and gain some separation from academic and social pressure and unwind.

Saruul Zorgit, Class of 2024, mentioned how the reduced capacity of 10 people per time slot along with the risk of the Fitness Center being closed down completely amid rising Covid-19 cases significantly disrupted her gym routine: “I feel like before Covid-19 exercising and going to the gym was a very big part of my life … it allowed me to [destress] a lot and I guess like coming to college and not being [able to] exercise as often as I used to was a … difficult change [because] I couldn’t find any other ways to … clear my mind.”

The reopening of the women’s only gym last semester allowed Zorgit to consistently build movement and exercise into her daily routine and prioritize her mental well-being: “I feel more comfortable going to a women's only gym maybe… because my experiences in mixed gyms back home that weren't very good and because of that I rarely went to the gym freshman year but now I’ve built up a habit of going [regularly].” She added. “It did take a toll on my self confidence and my mental health but as the restrictions started getting better [and I started to] go to the gym more, I feel a lot better about myself. Even though [the women’s gym] is smaller and has fewer equipment I definitely feel a lot more comfortable in my skin … and calmly and confidently do my exercises.”

Although personal training looked slightly different this academic year due to social distancing guidelines, the Athletics department, alongside virtual appointments, enabled students to learn suitable exercises with variations and the appropriate forms by simply scanning QR codes attached to gym equipment. Now that in-person training has resumed, students still find this feature helpful in navigating equipment without injuring themselves and finding a place to build a routine, which can oftentimes be overwhelming.

The Athletics Department’s efforts to reduce stress levels and reinstall hope among the NYUAD community were not lost even in the depths of the pandemic. As Covid-19 restrictions are easing this year, the department is back in full swing and has great expectations for intercollegiate competitions and with its sportsmanship and community building.

“[This semester has been] rewarding,” noted McGrath. “The fact that we’re able to participate … just seeing the looks on peoples' faces and getting feedback from both our university and others is just rewarding.”