NCAA Policy dictates that team sports may not conduct practice for more than six days in a week. But what is expected of DePauw athletes on that seventh day and what do their coaches hope they gain from it?
Head Football Coach Bill Lynch quickly summed up his sentiments, “I hope they get away from [Football]” Lynch said. He explained that before the team practices were limited to six day a week, the group practiced every day for up to 12 weeks. “In old school football you just kept hammering away,” said Lynch.
Lynch went on to mention the benefit the coaches get from the day off as well. “As a staff we spend all day Monday game-planning for the next one without having to go out to practice,” said Lynch, “we’re better prepared to give them the game-plan for the week on Tuesday because we’ve had more time to study it.”
Because of the structure of the football schedule, Coach Lynch explained that he has the ability to give the team the same day off each week, Monday. This, he said, gives athletes the opportunity to meet with professors and get caught up. “We kind of look at it as an academic day,” Lynch said.
Head Men’s Tennis coach Scott Riggle mentioned the importance he sees in his athletes getting a physical break. “Tennis is a high repetition sport, your body just needs a break from that” said Riggle.
Riggle added that while he doesn’t mind his athletes cross training, he hopes they take advantage of the rest day for their own benefit.
Junior field hockey player Madison Little explained the day off from an athlete’s perspective, explaining how her coaches recommend she use her day off. “They really stress taking a personal day and focusing on school” Little said.
The field hockey team also uses Monday as their day off on most weeks, allowing players to meet up with professors and get caught up academically. “It’s just nice coming back from class and knowing that you have the rest of the afternoon to do whatever you need to,” Little said.
Things that Little cannot squeeze into days that are filled with field hockey such as calling her family and get caught up personally, are taken care of on Mondays. “Anything that you don’t feel like you have time to do during the week with field hockey is kind of like a Monday thing,” Little said.
Senior football player John Halloran explained the necessity of a day off for himself physically, “The duration of the game is always grueling on the body.” “[The day off] allows me to get as healthy as possible,” added Halloran.
The limitation of practices to six days a week provides athletes with the opportunity to rest and catch up with school work while separating themselves from the stresses of their sports. Lynch explained the benefit of this simply, “everybody needs a break.”
This is the NCAA Handbook with the rule about sports only practicing six days a week in it:
https://web3.ncaa.org/lsdbi/search/bylawView?id=9024