AD Beekman lauds “creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, resilience” of Spartan Athletics team

<p>Most of us are in our sixth week of working remotely, and in many ways it feels much longer for a lot of people. So much has changed in that relatively short period of time. Beekman keeps the safety and health of MSU student athletes at the forefront of all the decisions he’s making as he prepares for a future where information and the situation constantly change.<br> <br> “On the one hand, it feels like we've been in this mode forever. On the other hand, in the greater scheme of things, it's been a relatively short period of time,” says Beekman. “The watchword of so much of what we're doing is that, as Dr. Fauci now has famously said, ‘The virus controls the timeline.’ There are things that we can do to try and impact that, staying at home obviously being a key factor right now, but really, the virus will control the timeline.<br> <br> “We've been working very hard to do two things simultaneously. We're working hard to make sure that we're ready for whenever we can get closer to our normal operations or to a new normal in operations. We've got people out making sure that the fields are in good shape and that our softball, baseball, soccer, football, and other fields are appropriately maintained.<br> <br> “And we have a whole crew of people working very, very hard to make sure that our student-athletes are taken care of. They're spread across the globe, 800 young men and women. Some are still in East Lansing. Others are scattered across the country, and others are living in international places. They have the tools they need to stay in shape both mentally and physically. This week, they're completing their exams and we're making sure that they've got all kinds of tools to stay in good physical health, good mental health, and complete their academic work as scheduled.”<br> <br> Beekman confers with his fellow Big Ten athletic directors via conference call every weekday morning. They’re making several different contingency plans for getting back to normal or to a new normal. And they’re thinking ahead t