As students were sent home for good at Thanksgiving break, the athletic teams on campus will have to improvise, making more changes to their schedule this year, to adjust to being at home for so long. The women’s lacrosse team had their inaugural season cut short last year due to COVID-19, so they are anxious to have a real season this spring. The team started their fall pre-season in October, and has been getting a lot of practice in while following safety guidelines like keeping a distance of six feet from one another and wearing a face mask while practicing. Besides practice, the team also did a lot of team bonding including bonfires, pumpkin painting, trivia games, and more to form a good team connection on and off the field. Ending the fall season with a team scrimmage, the team will now transition to online classes and exams again at home for a long winter break. The challenge of team bonding and practicing at home before their spring season begins. 

The lacrosse team already has a lot of activities planned for the winter break. One team bonding activity they have is the Royals Holiday Challenge. The team was split into two groups, black and blue (Royals colors), and every week they will get a challenge on a topic or subject based on the upcoming holidays. Sophomore goalkeeper Arianna Nixon said, “It is so much fun, and it is a way to still go be active while keeping in touch with everyone.” 

The teammates of each group will send photos in their team group chat, and the teams with the best pictures and most participation will receive points. They are also doing team Zoom calls and one-on-one Zoom check-ins. Besides team bonding activities to keep in touch, they will also do winter workouts with a list of exercises to stay in shape. With a strong winter schedule and team communication, the women’s lacrosse team will be ready for a spring season like no other.