By: Mark Flewelling | Guest Contributor
The upcoming Division III week from April 7 to 13 at the University of Lynchburg celebrates student-athletes’ dedication and hard work while balancing academics and social life, and puts the spotlight on the impact of sports on campus.
DIII week is recognized nationwide and highlights the uniqueness of DIII athletes and schools. During the week, leadership and community involvement are emphasized on campuses across the country, including Lynchburg.
“I think DIII week is really special to us because we can not only celebrate our athletes, but also have a foot in the door with the campus community,” says McKenzie Rafferty, women’s lacrosse head coach. “It’s important because we are celebrating this week and our talented athletes, while also reinforcing the core values of DIII.”
It’s not only the coaches who play a role in this important week; student leadership also plays a crucial part.
“We do a bunch of activities to give back to the community, things like helping out with landscaping, we hold a coaches versus athletes kick-ball game, and we’ll set up a table in Drysdale and get people on video talking about why people chose DIII and specifically Lynchburg, to try and grow our community,” says Ashton Watterson, the Officer for Recruitment and Involvement in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
For students like senior Caitlyn Moore, who is the president of SAAC, DIII week is important.
“It is an opportunity for athletes on campus to showcase why they chose Division III. Some people have this stigma about “you need to go D1”, but juxtaposing other programs with ours, it’s hard to deny the culture we’ve built here,” said Moore.
On small campuses, such as Lynchburg’s, it is important for the campus community to support one another. From Code Red games to traveling to support a Lynchburg team, the Hornet community stands with and supports all the DIII athletes that represent the Hive.
For more information about DIII week at Lynchburg, visit Lynchburg Athletics