The winter holidays in Charlottesville offered brisk air full of cheer, a festively decorated Rotunda and plenty of work. At least that's how most of Winter Break played out for winter sports athletes and even some UTS bus drivers.
Third-year College student and varsity basketball player Matt Deasey spent all but two days of his Winter Break in Charlottesville, practicing with the rest of the basketball team for eight hours a day with only a few days off.
"It feels like a month-long trip to basketball camp," Deasey said.
Matt Federici, third-year Engineering student and wrestler, faced a similar situation as he trained five and a half hours a day over break with about six days to spend at home. For Federici, who is also a member of the Navy ROTC program, spending breaks away from home is nothing special.
"I'm home for about a week a year total," Federici said.
First-year College student Erin Fox also cut her break short, coming back to Charlottesville on New Year's Day for a different sort of training: bus driving for the University Transit Service.
"I spent New Year's at home, but it was hard coming back," Fox said.
The typical University student spent at least 28 days relaxing at home -- and that's if he or she had a final on the last possible day and came back early in time for sorority rush.
While friends at home may have been maintaining a rather light daily schedule, students spending the first weeks of winter around Grounds followed a strict timetable.
"We'd have breakfast at around 8:15, so that means waking up at 7," Deasey said. "Practice usually runs about three hours, with a lifting session of 45 minutes to an hour, an hour or two off. Then we came back at night to do non-contact stuff."
Although training to drive a UTS bus may not seem as strenuous as training for a sport, Fox said driving all day was surprisingly tiring. She had to be on the bus and ready to drive at 8 a.m.
"Most days were Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, except for two 15-hour days and one Saturday," Fox said. "We pretty much drove constantly."
The majority of Federici's typical Break day, with practices from 9 to 11:30 and 3 to 6, was also devoted to his sport. Unlike many other college sports, however, Federici said that to a degree, wrestling can never really leave his mind even when he is not training.
"Wrestling is not like other sports where you can go get something to eat after practice," he said. "You're always thinking about your weight. After a long night studying in the library you can't have a cup of coffee."
All three students identified certain aspects of a normal winter break that they greatly missed this year.
"I missed being able to hang out with my friends and sleep in," Fox said. "There was pretty much no sleep at all once I got back here."
Deasey also said he missed the month-long opportunity to catch up with his friends from home.
"I miss being able to spend time with my girlfriend," he said. "With going to different schools, this is a month to see each other, and I'm not there."
Other than not seeing his friends, Federici added that he wished he could have enjoyed a break from the normal, frenzied college schedule.
"I miss time to sit back and know finals are over," he said. "When everybody comes back for second semester, everybody's had a couple months off, and everybody's excited about college again. We never really left."
Federici also mentioned that Charlottesville has a different atmosphere when there are "just a bunch of jocks" around.
"It feels like I'm not taking classes," he said. "But I don't know how much of a break it is."
Fox said she also felt like something was off because of the uncharacteristically few students seen around Grounds.
"It was really weird because no one was here," she said. "It felt like Break was over pretty much."
Despite their hectic Break schedules, Deasey, Federici and Fox agreed their sacrifices were worth it.
"I've wanted to do this since I can remember," Deasey said. "It's a challenge in a different way from anything else at school. It challenges you physically, mentally, and emotionally."
Federici cites the uniqueness of wrestling as his main attraction to the sport.
"Teams are a lot smaller now than 10 years ago," Federici said. "To be a Division I college wrestler is pretty special."
Unlike Deasey and Federici, Fox had a chance to bond with a completely new set of people when she returned to Charlottesville.
"The people are awesome," Fox said. "We're all a really close-knit group now."
Even though the majority of their days were wrapped up in their respective activities, all three said they found spare moments to relax.
"All the guys sleep in between practices," Federici said. "It's time to be a normal person and just sit and do real low-stress stuff because your body is tired."
Fox said she experienced the other side of the spectrum during her breaks from driving buses.
"There was lots of eating," she said. "We watched lots of movies and went to bus driver parties, too."
Although Fox came back to Charlottesville early for a job, her shortened break ended up being both a lot of work and a lot of play.
"I've had an incredibly fun winter break," Fox said.
On the other hand, Federici laughed when asked if his break was fun.
"It's been a tough winter break, but that's the nature of a winter sport," he said.
Deasey had to weigh his experiences before he could answer.
"I think it's been fun," he said. "It's definitely a unique experience. It's tough, but there are very fun moments"
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 3 days agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 5 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
