Lynchburg Winter Sports Teams Prepare for Shortened Break

LYNCHBURG, Va. – While the University of Lynchburg’s student population travels home for winter break, several athletes are extending their stays or returning to campus early as sports seasons blend into the new year.

The winter athletics slate features men’s and women’s basketball, swim, track & field, equestrian, men’s volleyball and wrestling. While the athletic department has grown in recent years with new winter sport additions, the lack of activity around campus forces athletes to come together.

“Our teammates joke that Wards Road is empty because you don’t have Randolph or Liberty students,” said women’s basketball junior forward Taylor Brown. “Since there is no one else on campus, our team groups together and knows that it’s time to get to work.”

Many coaches schedule games just days after their teams return to campus, hoping to incentivize their athletes to stay in shape over breaks. Head Coach Allison Nichols utilized this strategy with the women’s basketball team after Thanksgiving Break, scheduling a nonconference game with only two prior days of practice.

“Knowing that you have a break is nice, but knowing that you get to play is even more exciting for the team,” Brown said. “Having those games to look forward to is a blessing, instead of practicing for two weeks straight.”

While most college students enjoy vacations or relaxation throughout the break, winter sport athletes remain in the weightroom. For the women’s basketball program, Brown believes staying in shape is fulfilling a commitment to her teammates.

“People are already bought in, so if you aren’t doing your part, you’re just dragging everyone down,” Brown said. “[Coach Nichols] does a good job of reminding everyone right before break that you have to push yourself and know we’re entering ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) play.”
Now in his 18th season at the helm of the Lynchburg men’s basketball program, Head Coach Hilliary Scott utilizes the break as a midway point to recalibrate before facing the brunt of conference play.

“In years past, I’ve used winter break as a time to get back to our basics,” Scott said. “A lot of our first practices look a lot like when we started the year; we get a good reset for the second part of our season.” 

As a former professional basketball player in Europe, Scott understands the value of being able to solely focus on the sport before the second semester begins in January.

“Our guys enjoy being here for break,” Scott said. “This is the closest thing to being a professional basketball player because it’s all basketball, all day. You’re not having to worry about classes or homework.”

While athletes are required to return early, several teams spend the winter break taking trips around the East Coast. The Lynchburg swim team perennially travels to Florida to partake in a week-long training trip, while the men’s team has spent holiday breaks in Nashville, Tenn., St. Petersburg, Fla. and recently for Thanksgiving Break: Pittsburgh, Pa.

“Being able to take trips like that starts with Coach [Jon] Waters and comes down to our many basketball donors,” Scott said. “Our trip to Pittsburgh was fun; we got the chance to go to a Penguins game and Primanti Bros, and a lot of the guys hadn’t been to the city before.”

When teams return to the Hill City, coaches must consider how athletes will fuel as the Burton Dining Hall closes for the majority of the winter break. For the athletes, it presents another opportunity to make memories with teammates.

“Because the dining hall is closed, our coach gives us a certain amount of money that we can all use,” Brown said. “All of us being able to go to different restaurants and not having to worry about the money is a lot of fun.” 

Before returning to campus, however, every coach acknowledges the importance of returning home for the holidays. From a training standpoint, it often presents the opportunity for athletes to return to where their playing careers began.

“A lot of these guys go back to their high schools and workout with their old coaches,” Scott said. “It’s a cool opportunity for them to go back and pour into the younger guys that are coming in after them.”

For a full schedule of games throughout winter break, click here.