Have you ever wondered what happens to the Colby Athletics teams once their season is over? Are they allowed to slack off for the rest of the year, or do coaches stay in touch? And how do you adapt from being so close with your team for so long after the thing that ties you together ends?
The Echo asked Lucy Dyer `29, a midfielder on Colby Women’s Lacrosse, what her team gets up to when they’re out of season.
There are still lots of organized activities for the lacrosse players in the offseason. The “team loves the weight room and… strength coach, Jorge,” Dyer said. They lift together three times a week, divided into small groups based on availability, and have practices in the evenings when they can.
These athletic commitments keep the team ready for the spring semester, when the season starts, and practices and lifts get more serious. But the team stays close away from the field in the offseason.
“In the fall,” Dyer said, “I try to spend as much time outside as I can with my friends and teammates… while the weather is so nice. We love to hang out on Miller lawn and do homework in between classes. Sometimes we’ll grab lunch from Spa and eat on the lawn together. We also try to make as many trips to local swimming holes and the Hume as possible.”
A highlight of these fall activities is the Dempsey Challenge 5K, a fundraiser in Lewiston organized by Patrick Dempsey. This race raises money for the Dempsey Center, which provides free counseling and support services to those impacted by cancer. The lacrosse team participates in this event every year. “It was so much fun and gave us a great excuse to get outside and into the local Maine community yet again.”
These activities make a huge difference in team chemistry: “We absolutely build our chemistry for the spring throughout the fall offseason.” Dyer said that the fall traditions are some of her favorite memories with the team, and it grows the close-knit community that makes them so strong.
In sum, the fall semester is mostly about bonding for spring teams. They stay active, lifting together and holding occasional practices, but the real emphasis is on community building. They hang out between classes, get meals together, and have long-standing traditions centered around giving back to the community. When asked if she thinks these fall semester activities help contribute to the team’s success in the spring, Dyer replied, “Definitely!”
On behalf of all of their fans, good luck to women’s lacrosse with their fall training and spring season!
~ Meredith McKeever `29
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