Calvin University will be digging into how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted sports in a summer course called 'play and sport during a pandemic.'
"Calvin felt they needed to do something to kind of help the community and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic," Dr. Brian Bolt, Calvin Dean of Education, men's golf coach and course instructor said.
The course is not designed just for Calvin students, but the general public as well.
"Everybody has got kind of a sport story and I want to try to tap in and figure out what drew you in," Bolt said. "Was it that you started as a fan and then you became attracted to sport? Did you start as a player? And then what is maintaining your interest in sport?"
The online course starts Monday and registration will remain open until it begins. To enroll for the class click here. The course will last three weeks and delve into a number of topics.
"You've seen some things online where people will write letters back to their sport," Bolt said. "We are going to do some similar sorts of things early on in the course just so we get to know each other and then we will get into more specific connections."
While many have negative feelings about the pandemic especially when it comes to lost chances to participate in organized sport, this class will also look at how this time has created opportunity.
"One of the things that a lot of people have figured out is how to play again." Bolt said. "Sports has taken our natural desire to play and really organized and it has been fascinating to watch people have to participate in sport or find a way to play in unorganized ways, in self driven ways and that is kind of how we got started in sport, that is the love of sport."
The students will each get the chance to pick their favorite sport and analyze how it will return.
"If you want to pick Major League Baseball you will have a plethora of things to try to figure out here and go OK who's at fault here?" Bolt said. "Should this come back? Does the world need it? Those sorts of questions."
The cost of the course is $400 for those who want to earn the one credit and $200 for those who want to take it as an audit.
