The holidays are a time when many Tigers aim to relax and celebrate. However, as the holidays come and go, sports practices sometimes overlap with these celebrations. For the most part, the coaches of each team try to keep practices out of the holidays. As women’s basketball head coach Cameron Hill stressed, the coaching staff does their best to try and avoid such conflicts between the holidays and practice.

“Our primary concern during any holiday is to get our players time with their families. We make a concerted effort every season to schedule around time at home for the holidays,” Hill said.

But even the best of plans can overlap, so some coaches have come up with ideas to inject their practices with a bit of holiday spirit. One such example is the Tigers swimming and diving team, under head coach Cathleen Pruden, who celebrated Halloween together this year.

“The swimmers pulled a set out of a pumpkin. The sets were written on pieces of paper shaped like candy. There were a lot more tricks than treats, but it was a fun way to get our work done that day. Last year New Year’s Day fell on a practice day so our workout was based around the number 22 to celebrate the New Year! Last year at the NCAA Championships the Tigers were the most spirited team on St. Patrick’s Day. We were covered in green clothing and lucky pins and socks and face tattoos,” Pruden said.

These kinds of activities have helped set a festive attitude, while also retaining the necessary vigor for practices. However, the swimming and diving team aren’t the only team to have holiday traditions, as the Tiger’s softball team has its own customs according to head coach Abigail Martin.

“We do an annual Halloween Game every year, where we all dress up and play stickball. It’s definitely more for fun that day because sometimes the costumes prevent them from competing at their best,” Martin said.

This isn’t where the plans for the holidays stop though, as Martin later stated another plan for the holiday. This plan includes embracing the holiday spirit by giving something back to the community.

“This year we are also looking to adopt a family for the holidays where we purchase gifts for a family in need,” Martin said.

Beyond the team, celebrations are those organized by the athletes themselves outside of practice. One such example can be seen in the Tiger’s women’s basketball team.

“During Thanksgiving break, we get together for ‘Togethersgiving’ where we all bring food for a little potluck before we go home to our families. The teammates who don’t go home because of distance go back to other teammates’ homes to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. For Christmas break, we have a lot of TogetherTigers get-togethers. We also do Secret Santa and spend most nights together for dinner. This all is mainly separate from the coaches,” Emily Nelson, a senior guard, said.

While the general notion is to keep holidays practice-free, traditions both in and out of the team have allowed Trinity’s athletes to enjoy their holidays even at practice.