Dear Bear Fans:
 
It goes without saying that 2020 has been a year we will not soon forget.  With the cancellation of the MVC Women's Basketball Tournament in March due to COVID-19, life has not been the same. We have altered our normal behaviors, from getting groceries, going out to eat, or attending worship services, things we once took for granted have been taken from us. 
 
In the world of college athletics, not being able to play was our reality. Never have we faced this type of challenge. The ability to compete and play is something we have all worked hard at. We have all struggled at times to find solutions, trying day and night to come up with ideas, drawing up new schedules and making sure everyone is as safe as possible under these new circumstances.
 
I want to especially thank our Athletic Medical and Rehabilitation Services staff for their extra efforts and sacrifice this fall.  Your dedication, hard work and understanding to the issues and roadblocks we have faced have not gone unnoticed.  I will be forever grateful for your devotion to Missouri State Athletics. Likewise, to our staff, coaches and student-athletes, thank you for pulling together as one to get us through this challenging time.
 
I also want to thank all of the front-line health care providers for being the real champions in this effort. Your tenacity, compassion and dedication to the patients and families in our communities has been inspiring and heartwarming. We should all learn from your selflessness. I ask that everyone in the Bears family takes a moment to give thanks for the people who have worked so hard to get a vaccine to us in record time.  Many people have suffered a great deal during this pandemic -- our neighbors, friends, family members and many in our business. Support them however you can.  Go out of your way to make it better for them.  We need each other.
 
A special thanks also goes out to President Clif Smart for his support of athletics at Missouri State and his leadership at the conference level. It was important for our student-athletes to be able to practice and compete this fall, if even on a limited basis. His commitment to the mental health of our student-athletes was critical to their academic and athletic performance during these trying times. His leadership through the pandemic has been extraordinary. All coaches, student-athletes and staff appreciate President Smart's support of our testing protocol and his tireless efforts this fall. He persevered through challenging times, and we all are better for it.
 
One of my wishes this holiday season is that our society can come together as one to make a better world – one that values everyone's contributions. In intercollegiate athletics, we have the privilege of working with some of the brightest, most caring, hard-working, selfless students you'll ever meet. I'm proud of all of them for expressing their beliefs and experiences in a civil manner. At the end of the day, we are all just trying to understand and respect one another. We want every American to speak up when they see injustice and racism. If we believe that all of us have value, then we must treat each other with respect, regardless of our differences.
 
Finally, I look forward to 2021 and the many bright moments ahead for Missouri State.  I'm optimistic that we can persevere with much fewer interruptions to our sports schedules.  I'm anxiously awaiting the day we will once again be at full capacities in our stadiums and arenas. I miss the fans more than ever.  Games and events aren't the same without you.  Even the referees and officials miss you!   Your loyalty and support are the reasons we're able to do what we love doing. I can't thank you enough for your unwavering support during these trying times. I'm full of hope and anticipation that soon our student-athletes will once again be able to do what they love – to play and compete for the Bears.  I look forward to "normal' being our reality.
 
P.S.  If you haven't made a Christmas donation to your favorite charity,  please consider the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. You may have seen coach Dana Ford and I are part of a lip sync competition benefitting CPO. If nothing else, it should bring a smile or a holiday laugh to see our performances, which will air on KY3 on Dec. 25 at Noon or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CPOzarks/videos/2695992244063266.  Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.
 
Go Bears!
 
Kyle Moats
Director of Athletics