LYNCHBURG, Va. – With the number of student-athletes at the University of Lynchburg on the rise, upperclassmen say building a campus-wide team spirit could ensure that non-athletes feel just as connected and engaged in campus life.
Several of the 25 varsity teams at the University boast rosters with over 50 athletes. As a result, it is easy for first-year athletes to cultivate friendships both on and off the field. For non-athletes, the search for companions often begins at orientation and culminates in the classroom.
“Being a part of a major is almost like being a part of a team,” senior Theo Barrett said. As a former connection leader for incoming freshmen and Peer Assisted Supplemental Study (PASS) tutoring mentor, Barrett understands the importance of making everyone feel at home.
“You see those kids every single day in all of your classes,” Barrett said. “The opportunity is what you make it. By branching out and speaking to them, you might make their experience way better.”
As someone who did not compete for a sports team, Barrett recognizes an innate separation between Lynchburg’s athletes and other students. For Barrett, who has friends on the Lynchburg men’s tennis team, cultural differences often determine how society views athletes.
“International students come here for an opportunity to play these sports,” Barrett said. “The kids from America come here thinking that the school chose them to play.”
While athletes are often put on a pedestal in American culture, the size of Lynchburg’s sports teams has become the most formidable logistical challenge to maneuver for both athlete and non-athlete divisions.
During the dinner shift in the Burton Dining Hall, the separation is stark, as sports teams populate the front of the room.
“I’ve had friends on those teams,” Barrett said. “They take up a huge area, but I wouldn’t really sit with them in the Cafe. I would sit with other friends.”
Despite these divisions, many athletes remain involved in welcoming non-athletes to new events around campus, primarily through the Lynchburg Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Building Connections with SAAC
SAAC works diligently to market Code Red events, Homecoming festivities, and other sports-themed activities to the entire campus. Ashley Vandergrift, a senior student-athlete on the women’s basketball team who served as a SAAC board member in 2024, believes that incentivizing these events helps bring everyone together.
“Code Red has done a lot better as the years have progressed since I’ve been here,” Vandergrift said. “The Student Government Board does a really good job of incorporating everyone, especially with the halftime games and raffle tickets.”
Even outside of athletics, Vandergrift believes that group activities help promote social interaction. In the classroom, Lynchburg’s professors can play a role in creating these bonds between students.
“The teacher will make you all talk to each other for a group project, and I think that’s where you see the most interaction,” Vadergrift said. “When you meet someone for the first time, you start to see them everywhere. That’s the craziest thing about going to a small school.”
Connecting athletes and non-athletes can also begin in the dorms.
“I did have basketball players on my hall freshman year, but I also got to meet new friends on the equestrian team,” Vandergrift said. “It depends on what hall you live in, but it’s a great way to meet a lot of new people.”
Building Community
For athletes who stopped competing on their teams due to injury or other circumstances, the relationship generally remains intact. Senior Nick Brent, who competed for the Lynchburg track and field team before becoming a photographer for the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network, noted that he never feels isolated from his former team post-retirement.
“I feel like I’m still a part of the team and that athlete group on campus,” Brent said. “Obviously, I don’t compete, but I still try to attend most games and make an effort to spend as much time with athletes as possible.”
Brent believes the issue is not rooted in whether an individual competes, but rather in how athletes perceive non-athletes.
“It’s hard to get out of that [group] because you’re not on a team,” Brent said. “Obviously, it’s not a bad thing; you just have different interests.”
A college education prioritizes academics, and Barrett believes that academic accomplishments must receive equal support to those of athletic feats.
“If someone were to score 1,000 points or break a school record, you would hear about it,” Barrett said. “Incentivize these students to be great at what they’re doing, so we’re not just viewed as a sports school.”
For information on the University of Lynchburg’s clubs and extracurricular groups, visit www.lynchburg.edu/student-life/student-activities/clubs-and-organizations/.
