Hood Today

When Christmas break starts here at Hood, everyone looks forward to going home to spend time with their families. Christmas break is the longest break of the school year allowing the opportunity for students to get jobs to make money and to keep themselves from getting bored. However, for winter athletes, Christmas break is a little different.

Over the break, student athletes do get the opportunity to go home, but not as long as other students. Depending on the sport you play, the amount of time you get to spend home varies, as the lengths of the breaks are usually one or two weeks. Back at campus, things are a lot different for student athletes, as they are the only students around, and adding to the despair is the dining hall is closed. The only thing there is for them to do is practice and play games. Sometimes student athletes get the opportunity to travel out of state to play in tournaments, but for the most part, being the only ones around allow teams to get closer with each other, which thus helps with team chemistry.

Over Christmas break, teams actually have the opportunity to get better because classes are not in session, allowing more time to rest. With a lot of free time on their hands, teams will do things such as eat out at restaurants for fun. Thought there are fun activities, break is usually when the schedule starts to pick up for your sport. Depending on the sport you play, teams can have up to three games a week for multiple weeks in a row. Usually on day when there is no games being played, teams are practicing. Even though students are not going to classes, it is still important to get your rest because the schedule can catch up to you.

Through out this long break, student athletes tend to get adjusted into a routine of just practicing and playing games. When school starts you have to get back in the habit of going to classes all day and then practice or play your game. When classes start, teams are usually toward the end of their season. Games start meaning a lot more because it is getting closer to playoff time and practices get shorter to keep from getting fatigued throughout the school week.

While most students go home with their families over break, student athletes use their break to come together as a team. It takes dedication and sacrifice to shorten your winter break for a student athlete. You have to want to use this break to your team's advantage so you can get better and come together. For student athletes who have engaged in their sport all four years in college, they never get to experience what it's like to have a full Christmas break, however it is worth it so you can play the sport you love.

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