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NCAA break is a weight off of student-athletes’ shoulders

March 13, 2017 - 5 minute read


Volleyball coach and student-athlete in the gym

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,” Concordia University Irvine (CUI) 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.

CUI senior Taylor Dennison, who plays women’s volleyball, said the exam break gave her the opportunity to slow down and get caught up.

“When you’re in season, 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,” she said. “With the break, I’m able to breathe. I actually have time to study. I’m not studying in a hotel room or after a five-set game.”

With the break, I’m able to breathe. I actually have time to study. I’m not studying in a hotel room or after a five-set game.

As a senior who plans to graduate in May, Dennison said it’s important for her to finish strong academically.

“Your body is just so tired after athletics, sometimes it’s really hard to get your academic studies done, so you end up putting them off until later,” she said. “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, athletic career, and home and family life.

“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. We won’t see them again until Jan. 9, which is the first day of school next semester,” Turgeon said. 

The time off is a welcomed break, said Turgeon. It gives student-athletes time to recharge physically and mentally, he said.

“When we’re with them at least 20 hours a week, with whatever they put in extra, and their schooling on top of that, they need a break,” he said. “I think it’s a good time for them and their family. It gives them time to rest their mind and their body. It gives them time physically to get rested up. When these dead periods come about, they give athletes time to get healthy if they’re banged up a little.”

During these breaks, Division II student-athletes may condition and train on their own, but, unlike student-athletes at much faster-paced Division I schools, they will not be together as a team. They cannot play sports competing against other teams or travel to away games. 

When you’re so committed to your body and your sport, you’re doing activities year-round already

“When you’re so committed to your body and your sport, you’re doing activities year-round already, whether it’s from a team aspect or an individual aspect,” Turgeon said. “Our guys are still training and still preparing their body, but just not in a team setting as compared to Division 1.”

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, especially during the holidays, they want to see sports. During the fall, football and major basketball are in play,” Turgeon said. “With NCAA and their market, DI schools playing around Christmas and during the holiday period. People want to see sports on TV. Those are two prime sports in America. People enjoy watching them over the holidays.”

Over the break, DII coaches have to do things to prepare for when student-athletes return to school, like make sure equipment and uniforms are ready, but they don’t have to be in the office as much. Also they get a break from having to “worry about the classroom stuff,” Turgeon said. 

Just being a DII school alleviates some of the stress coaches have about how student-athletes fare academically, according to Turgeon.

“The student-athletes we’re able to get are typically a little higher academically in order to meet the requirements of the NCAA, which has brought greater academic success, which is outstanding for any coach,” he said. “At times, 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. As a coach, having not to worry about the classroom stuff, because I know we’re bringing in more quality students, is a little bit less of a headache for me or us as coaches.”

CUI 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, said Turgeon.

“For Concordia, it’s been a great change for the brand in the community,” he said. “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

CUI was previously a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), but Turgeon said it’s time for the school to grow. 

“NAIA is a great place to play sports and be a part of,” he said, “but just like anything else, I think taking steps forward and moving forward in your life or moving forward as a university, which we’re doing in Division II, is only going to be beneficial and better for everyone involved.”

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