For both student-athletes and coaches, NCAA-mandated breaks are a weight off of their shoulders. The extended breaks give student-athletes time to get their head out of the game.
“For us, it gives us a little over four weeks to be separated. That gives student-athletes time to get away from the game in a sense,” 欧文康考迪亚大学 Head Baseball Coach Joe Turgeon said.
Governed by National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, student-athletes at Division II schools get two break periods. The Institutional Final Exam Period gives student-athletes time off to study, beginning a week before final exams start until they are all completed. The Winter Break gives them seven consecutive weekdays off from sports.
康考迪亚大学欧文分校大四学生泰勒·丹尼森, 谁打女子排球, said the exam break gave her the opportunity to slow down and get caught up.
“当你成熟的时候, you’re so used to running around and emailing your instructors ahead of time to make sure you have all of your assignments done, all of your quizzes made up and any type of rescheduling issues taken care of,”她说。. “休息时，我可以呼吸. 我其实有时间学习. I’m not studying in a hotel room or after a five-set game.”
休息时，我可以呼吸. 我其实有时间学习. I’m not studying in a hotel room or after a five-set game.
作为一名计划于5月毕业的大四学生, Dennison said it’s important for her to finish strong academically.
“你的身体在运动后会很累, sometimes it’s really hard to get your academic studies done, 所以你最终会把它们推迟到以后,”她说。. “The break week allowed me to catch up and even start my papers and get them done before they’re actually due.”
The hiatus is intended to help student-athletes balance their academics, 运动生涯, 以及家庭和家庭生活.
“The week before finals, coaches are not allowed to be with them legally. They have a week leading into finals to make sure they’re getting their personal life and academic life in order to the best of their ability. 我们要到一月才能再见到他们. 9, which is the first day of school next semester,特尔金说.
特尔金说，这段时间是一个受欢迎的休息. It gives student-athletes time to recharge physically and mentally, he said.
“当我们每周和他们在一起至少20个小时, 不管他们多放了什么, 最重要的是他们的学校教育, 他们需要休息,他说. “我认为这对他们和他们的家人来说是一个好时机. 这给了他们休息身心的时间. 这让他们有时间在身体上得到休息. 当这些死期出现时, they give athletes time to get healthy if they’re banged up a little.”
在休息期间, Division II student-athletes may condition and train on their own, 但, unlike student-athletes at much faster-paced Division I schools, 他们不会作为一个团队在一起. They cannot play sports competing against other teams or travel to away games.
When you’re so committed to your body and your sport, 你已经全年都在做活动了
“当你对自己的身体和运动如此投入的时候, 你已经全年都在做活动了, 无论是团队方面还是个人方面,特尔金说. “Our guys are still training and still preparing their body, 但与一级联赛相比，这不是一个团队环境.”
Turgeon said spectator sports in general are a big moneymaker. Division 1 college sports are in play over the holidays because the demand is there, he said.
“Americans are off on the weekends or not at work at much, 尤其是在假期里, 他们想看体育比赛. During the fall, football and major basketball are in play,特尔金说. “With NCAA and their market, DI schools playing around Christmas and during the holiday period. 人们想在电视上看体育节目. 这是美国的两项主要运动. 人们喜欢在假期里看这些节目.”
在休息期间, DII coaches have to do things to prepare for when student-athletes return to school, 比如确保装备和制服准备就绪, 但他们不必在办公室呆那么久. Also they get a break from having to “worry about the classroom stuff,特尔金说.
Just being a DII school alleviates some of the stress coaches have about how student-athletes fare academically, 据特尔金说.
“The student-athletes we’re able to get are typically a little higher academically in order to meet the requirements of the NCAA, 哪个带来了更大的学业成功, 哪一点对任何教练来说都是杰出的,他说. “有时, when you’re bringing in a little less caliber student-athletes in the classroom in such a high academic institution, sometimes they tend to struggle or it’s a little more difficult for them. 作为教练, 不用担心课堂上的事情, 因为我知道我们招收了更多优秀的学生, is a little bit less of a headache for me or us as coaches.”
欧文康考迪亚大学 is near the end of its three-year NCAA DII membership application process and anticipates full membership in 2017-18, which will make it the only NCAA DII school in Orange County. Not only is becoming a DII school beneficial to student-athletes and coaches, who will face stiffer opponents at larger colleges and universities, it will put Concordia on the map from an athletic perspective, 鲟鳇鱼说.
“For Concordia, it’s been a great change for the brand in the community,他说. “More and more people will hopefully continue to understand what Concordia is as an institution, and the community will want to be even more involved and engaged than before.”
More and more people will hopefully continue to understand what Concordia is as an institution, and the community will want to be even more involved and engaged than before
欧文康考迪亚大学 was previously a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate 十大正规赌平台平台 (NAIA), 但特金说，现在是学校发展的时候了.
“NAIA是一个从事十大正规赌平台平台和参与其中的好地方,他说, 但就像其他事情一样, I think taking steps forward and moving forward in your life or moving forward as a university, 就像我们在第二部门做的那样, is only going to be beneficial and better for everyone involved.”