With winter break just around the corner, many students are counting down the days until they can enjoy the holidays and finally take a break from the demands of school. However, for student athletes whose sports seasons are in the winter, the holidays arrive right in the middle of their season’s schedule. While some sports make practice optional or even cancel it completely, giving athletes time to recharge, other sports continue training as usual, leaving athletes to balance rest and ongoing athletic commitments.
Vivien Chiu, a junior on the Berkeley High School girls varsity soccer team, has been playing soccer for 10 years. “A drawback (of winter break) is that I feel obligated to come to practice during break, even though it’s supposed to be time off,” Chiu said. “Usually we still have games on the weekend, so it’s hard to take advantage of the full two weeks,” she said. Because the team still holds practices and games over break, planning a vacation can be complicated. “I think I could go on vacation, but just not maximize the full time, because I still have a commitment to soccer,” Chiu said.
Even given the challenges, Chiu does appreciate that practice continues, giving her structure and a reason to stay active even when school is out. “I appreciate that there’s practice, so I have a reason to get outside and exercise,” Chiu said.
“We go two weeks without much practice, but it’s not too hard to get back in the rhythm afterwards,” said Victor Ozzello, a junior on the BHS wrestling team, explaining that their training and competition schedule comes to a halt during winter break. The wrestling team typically practices every day after school starting in November, so the lack of structured training over break forces him to stay disciplined on his own. “Exercising and not losing your conditioning is important, and making sure you stay on weight too,” Ozzello said.
While he appreciates having time to recharge, Ozello acknowledges that the break can slow things down. “It’s nice to have a break, but it does kind of pause the momentum,” he said. Still, he doesn’t feel that time off harms team relationships, but rather strengthens them. “I would say, because we have more time to hang out together and bond, it translates a lot on the board,” Ozello said.
For senior Zachary Winslow who has been playing basketball for about 10 years, winter break benefits his personal performance and team connection. “It improves my performance because I have way more time to rest my body, practice, and get reps in,” Winslow said, “You have to stay mentally locked in the whole time, and can’t lose focus just because it’s break.”
Across winter sports, the two week break can bring a mix of challenges and opportunities. For many athletes, the break forces them to stay disciplined on their own, as it can interrupt typical training. However, it offers the opportunity to rest and recover, helping them to return ready for the remainder of their season.