Chapman athletes look ahead to the upcoming holiday season

After an out-of-the-ordinary semester, Chapman athletes are looking forward to a relaxing holiday break to decompress physically and mentally. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Bland junior goalkeeper.

The warm rich aroma of chocolate wafting through the air and a cool, crisp breeze whistling between tree branches as snow – or in California’s case, sunlight – drifts down from the sky above. The holiday season is in full swing. 

Well, not quite; before they go home to their families, Chapman students must complete their winter finals. And for athletes, that task is more difficult in the time of COVID-19, and not just because of remote learning. 

In a normal year, many student-athletes utilize workouts as a way to combat the stress of finals week. With gyms closed, athletes such as Avery High, a sophomore lacrosse midfielder, must find ways to adapt. 

“In a normal year, I found it super useful to finish my day of studying by going to the gym,” High said. “This year, though, I’m really unsure of how things are going to go. It’s a lot harder to balance staying fit and keeping my grades up, so I’m just focusing on my mental health, staying on top of school and getting outdoors.”

Plans regarding final exams vary by the athlete. Some such as Zack Matteoni, a junior defender on the men’s soccer team, are set on returning home before the last week of the semester. 

“I’ll take my finals at home, and then the rest of my holiday break will consist mainly of relaxing at home with my parents and older brother,” Matteoni said.

However, similar to High’s concerns over her mental health, Kelsey Bland, a junior goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team, is concerned about staying active once returning home with gyms being closed. There are always alternatives, though. 

“To stay active over break, I’ll be playing pick-up soccer with old teammates, surfing, going on runs at the beach or going on walks with my dog,” Bland said.

It won’t be all fun and games, though; some are setting goals for the holiday break to hold themselves accountable in preparation for a potential spring season. 

“My goal is to also go to a field or park at least once a week to do sprints or conditioning for the spring season,” High said. “Our season is aimed to start in March, so I definitely need to get in shape.”

At the end of the day, the break offers a much-needed opportunity for many athletes to decompress, particularly after the emotional weight for fall athletes of having a spring schedule swept from out underneath their feet. 

“Fall semester was hectic as a student-athlete, specifically because we usually are accustomed to balancing school and sports in the fall, but now we had far more free time since sports were canceled,” Bland said. “So finally having some time to relax and reflect on the semester will be much-needed.”