Volume 137 No. 3

(Photo Courtesy of NPR)

‘They went above and beyond with this event’

Who would not want the chance to relive their college experi ence or catch an early glimpse of student life, and everything it has to offer?

Springfield College hosted a family week end this past weekend: opening the campus to all parents and siblings from near and far.

Once again, attesting to the motto: “Spring field College is home,” where everyone has a sense of belonging.

“It is nice to be able to let families see their kids. So many of them probably have not seen them in several weeks,” first-year student Gabe Carrero’s dad, Jerry, said.

The first night fea tured bingo, one of the most popular events that Springfield has to offer. What was first a leisure activity, quickly turned competitive - ev eryone wanted to win.

“Bingo was my favor ite event,” Carrero said.

Many people loved bingo because everyone was playing for some thing. Between a relax ation basket, $100 gift cards, lawn chairs and a hydro flask, all partici pants had their eyes on a prize.

The next day opened with a family barbeque and live music.

“The food is great, and it leads right into the football game, which is what I am most excited for,” first-year student Fiona Allen’s father said.

According to her dad, Allen is the “guinea pig” for her family. She is the first of her family to attend college. He con tinued with, “We had to come to see her. It is so nice to be able to spend

the weekend with her.”

After the barbeque, the Springfield College men’s football team put on a show. They host ed Husson University, where the Pride won by a whopping 42 points, 49-7.

However, if football was not eye-catching, there was no need to worry. The women’s volleyball team had a game, and both the men’s and women’s soccer and tennis teams competed over the

weekend as well.

On top of the sport ing events, there was also “Family Fun.”

Around campus were various activities rang ing from mini golf, laser tag, a bouncy house and more.

“This is what our son is looking forward to the most. It is cool to have stuff catered towards them as well,” Allen’s mom said.

“I like the environ ment; it feels a lot more open with more people

than in the past,” said junior Collin Dagg’s mom. Collin added, “I feel like this year tops all the years for the event. It seems like there are a lot more activities this year. Additionally, there are no more COVID restric tions, which is another bonus.”

To top off what was a fantastic weekend, magician Nick Diffatte performed live. To no body’s surprise, tickets were sold out.

“Springfield was defi nitely the right choice. They went above and beyond with this event, and it is clear they do a lot of things like these,” Dagg’s mom said.

The weekend high lighted the importance of family, the tight-knit Springfield community, and enjoying school outside of studying –all while making unfor gettable memories.

“They did a great job. There was something for everyone. Between the sporting events, food, family fun, and trivia,” Carrero said. “I heard they have several events like this, and they do a great job on them as well. I am excited to hear and see what the next events bring.”

The annual family weekend featured food, sports, family and fun as families traveled from across the country to hang on Alden Street.

_ By Sean Savage _ @SeanSav13

Families take in the campus festivities on family weekend. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Counseling Center introduces new programs

The Center, which is located inside Massasoit Hall, has a variety of new offerings this year.

the only new event the Counseling Cen ter is offering this year, however. An event called Common Ground will also be happening on campus, where a group of peo ple who are passionate about diversity will convene to discuss a given topic, then they’ll try to discover a common ground, as the name indicates.

“We try to be very responsive and very quick to get people in,” Krylowicz said.

As for how to reach out to the Counsel ing Center, walking in the door is just one way for a student to do so — they can also send an email to counselingcenter@ springfield.edu, or call 413-748-3345.

The Springfield College Counseling Center, a service that offers free and pro fessional counseling to students, is intro ducing multiple new programs this year. Located right near the entrance in Massasoit Hall, the Counseling Center is also con tinuing a few other events that have been successful in the past.

The Counseling Center provides both individual and group counseling, primarily focusing on mental health-related issues such as anxiety, de pression and relationship problems. Luckily

_ By Tucker PaqueTTe @tpaquette17

for students who may be searching for help in one or more of those areas, or who need assistance with another issue, the cen ter is well-equipped to provide assistance with its supportive staff and different offerings on campus.

One new program the Counseling Cen ter is introducing this year is called Happy Hour. The objective of this event is to get people to meet their peers in a non-coun seling setting. The Counseling Center is working with both Student Activities and the Academic Advis

ing Center on this initiative.

“Sometimes people feel very isolated, or they don’t feel like they know enough people,” said Brian Krylowicz, Director of the Counseling Center. “We’re try ing to form ways that people can get togeth er for something very fun.”

Krylowicz adds that participants will connect the Happy Hour activity and the challenges it poses to real life. In this way, a deeper reflection is mixed in with a laid back, fun time. Happy Hour is not

While Happy Hour and Common Ground are new initiatives this year, the Cen ter is bringing back programs like Pride Cares, which was founded last year. An objective of Pride Cares is to train students on how they can help a peer if they need it. Also, this pro gram aims to increase awareness about avail able campus resources among the student body.

Another returning event is Fresh Check Day, which is an annual mental healththemed event, one that has been going on for almost 10 years. This year’s edition will be held on Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Naismith Green.

All four of these programs will hope fully be (or contin ue to be) helpful to Springfield College students, but the Counseling Center is about more than just offering activities for people to partake in. The counselors also want students to know that they are there for them if they need support.

A counselor will do an intake appoint ment with a pro spective counselee to get a sense of what service(s) they are looking for, then the process keeps on mov ing from there.

“If they end up saying ‘I’d like to con tinue with counsel ing,’they get assigned to one of our counsel ors, and usually that starts within a couple of days after that,” Krylowicz said.

Krylowicz, who has been at the Coun seling Center for 11 years, hopes that stu dents who are having difficulties don’t try to take it all on alone.

“But please connect with others,” Krylo wicz said. “Do that with family, do that with friends….. but then know that the Counseling Center is here….. We try to be incredibly easy to talk to and easy to connect to. And so if anybody needs help, know that we’re here.”

The Counseling Center staff outside of Massasoit Hall. (Photo Courtesy of Springfield College)

Fighting through adversity

__ By Cait Kemp __ @caitlinkemp09

A Category 1 hur ricane recently ripped through Puerto Rico, the Dominican Re public, the Caribbean and even made its way up to the coast of Canada. Although it was just a 1 on the scale, Hurricane Fiona caused major destruc tion to the places it

hit, especially Puerto Rico, which was still recovering from the damage left by Hurri cane Maria five years ago.

Hurricane Maria is regarded as the worst natural disaster to affect those regions, as it reached Category 5, and leaves lasting

damage years after it touched down.

Puerto Rico was destroyed by Ma ria. Cities and towns were unrecognizable, the infrastructure of roads needed serious work and according to an independent study conducted by the government of Puer

to Rico, almost 3,000 people were killed. It was one of the dead liest natural disasters in U.S. history.

Springfield College students Giancarlo Carrion Peral and Mariela Perez-Colon both grew up in Puer to Rico, and witnessed Hurricane Maria and what it did to the island first-hand.

Fast forward to today, and the peo ple of Puerto Rico are forced to face yet another catastrophe. With the destruc tion from Maria still lingering, Hurricane Fiona hit that much harder. Carrion Peral and Perez-Colon were not home this time, as they were on campus a thousand miles away in Massachusetts. Despite the distance, they still know how much this hurricane affects Puerto Rico even five years after Maria.

“Even though it was a Category 1 hurricane, the damage was still pretty bad because we had Hurri cane Maria five years ago, which has been the worst hurricane in the history of the island. It just com pletely destroyed the infrastructure on the island, so we haven’t been able to complete ly recover from that hurricane,” said Carri on Peral.

Carrion Peral is from San Juan, which

is on the northern coast. His home was not within the area that was impacted the worst, and he is thankful his parents back home did not have to experience Fiona at its full force.

“The center of Puerto Rico wasn’t hit as hard as the shore lines, obviously, so the people from the Southwest specifical ly, they have a higher percentage of lower income communities down there, those were the ones that were hit the hardest out of all,” Carrion Peralral said.

Similarly, Perez-Co lon lives in Caguas, an area that was farther from the worst of the damage. Caguas is south of San Juan, and has a high eleva tion so floods were not a major issue for her family.

“I live up in the mountains so the flooding wasn’t that bad but the wind is pretty hard. That’s mostly what damages where I live. Trees all over the roads, elec trical cables down on the road and there’s water surrounding it so that is dangerous,” Perez-Colon said.

Despite them not being present for this hurricane, they both are still feeling for the island and its people, especially knowing what it was like after Maria. Their expe

(Photo Courtesy of NPR)

After experiencing Hurricane Maria just five years ago, Springfield students empathize with their home country of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Fiona.

riences helped them to appreciate their communities and how it made them come together in times of need.

“At least with Ma ria, everybody kind of came together and that showed the island’s strength, and the people,” Perez-Co lon said. “I didn’t have electricity for five months, so me and my neighborhood would always come together and go to a house that had a better electrical plan, we would make

food for everyone.”

It is difficult for them to watch what is going on back home. Even though they are not there, they have seen on the news places they call home totally destroyed. It is stressful for them knowing there is little they can do to help from such a distance.

They both recog nized the silver lining that can come from something like this, though. They remem ber seeing the com panionship and to

getherness that their communities exhibited in the wake of de struction. They know that now in the after math of Fiona that the people of Puerto Rico will lean on each other to come out of it stronger.

“Puerto Ricans, we found out we were very resilient…I think that’s when we were like, ‘Oh, we can get through anything if we stick together and respect one another and help each other,’” Perez-Colon said.

Carrion Peral and Perez-Colon certainly have a unique story compared to many other students at Springfield College, most of whom come from New England and surrounding U.S. states. The pair has not only experienced a natural disaster that many might never see, but realize that trop ical storms and hur ricanes are a part of normal life in Puerto Rico.

“I would tell my friends here that in

those years I would take a shower with buckets,” Perez-Colon said.

Carrion Peral con tinued, “People who have not experienced a hurricane would hear our stories and be like, ‘Wow, that’s insane,’ but from our perspective living in Puerto Rico, it’s how we’ve adjusted to living through these natural disasters.”

(Photo Courtesy of Northeastern University)

When preparation meets opportunity

Springfield College senior Cole Crynock has landed a semester-long internship with the American Hockey League, and is taking full advantage of his time in a professional workplace.

_ By Luke Whitehouse _ @Lwhitehouse12

The American Hockey League, also known as the “AHL,” is the primary de velopmental league for the National Hockey League. It welcomes many talent ed players and coaches who eventually make their mark on the biggest stage in the aforementioned NHL. There is even an AHL team right here in Springfield: The Spring field Thunderbirds. To work inside the confines of one of these leagues is an amazing opportunity. For Springfield College senior Cole Crynock, this has become a reality.

Crynock, who’s en rolled in the Sport Man agement program and is a part of the Pride baseball team, needed a full-time internship for the fall of his senior year. He knew that a lot of prior students had an internship with the AHL, and that it had been a successful stepping stone for those that were once in his shoes. One of Crynocks friends, Ava Fernandez, had done just that. She is now work ing with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. With a little help and convincing from Fernandez, he decided to submit his resume and ap ply to be an AHL intern.

“She pushed me to apply,” Crynock said. “She said it was a great experi ence.”

That was all the con vincing Crynock needed. There was one issue, how ever; he didn’t know much about hockey, and this was an internship for an established hockey league. But just like Fernandez, who also didn’t have prior hockey expertise, Crynock jumped at the opportunity to take the position after he was offered.

“There’s definitely pieces that you’re miss ing,” Crynock said. “But you notice it’s more about running a business and reaching fans…that’s most important.”

Crynock will be doing a variety of day to day jobs. He will be assisting in the marketing depart ment, the business de velopment department, hockey operations and even social media. With an abundance of daily tasks, communication skills are very important. Al though the lack of hockey knowledge has been a small roadblock, Crynock leans on his preparation through his experiences at Springfield.

“[Springfield College] has helped a lot with pushing everyone to make sure our resumés and cover letters are updated and [being prepared] for interviews,” Crynock said. “And then also communi cation skills and writing

skills.”

Colleges are there to teach the skills necessary to succeed once students graduate — and they of ten do. However, Crynock explains, they can only do so much. You have to be a “go-getter” and prepare yourself as much as possi ble on your own.

“I think the biggest thing on your own is just making sure you get out and gain experience on your own,” Crynock said.

Those who graduate with a sport management degree have many avenues they can travel upon. For Crynock, this opportu nity is a chance to get a great experience working within a league, while also finding his niche.

“It’s really about getting your feet wet in a bunch of different depart ments and seeing what I like and don’t like…and go from there.” Crynock said.

Crynock will have plenty of opportunity to

experience everything, as he will be working a schedule that replicates what a real work week af ter college will consist of.

“It’s basically a full time job,” Crynock said. “I’m here 40 hours a week during the whole semes ter.”

Along with getting an incredible experience, an internship like this lends itself to provide the necessary skills that are needed for the professional workplace. With Crynock graduating at the end of the academic year, paying attention to the work en vironment and obtaining those skills are important.

“Everybody’s super detail oriented,” Crynock said. “ Everybody does their job well and pays attention to what exactly needs to be done that day to make the league suc cessful.”

Although Crynock has already experienced a lot in such a short amount

of time, there is still so much to see. Learning how operations work from a league office standpoint has definitely been a high light for Crynock.

The AHL season begins on Oct. 14, and will conclude April 16, 2023. They are operating with 32 teams playing 72 games each. Crynock looks to make the most of his time during the fall semester. And with the hockey season yet to begin, Crynock could not be more excited for what’s to come. When asked about his favorite part of the internship, there was a clear answer.

“My favorite part [of the internship]...I think it’s going to be when the puck drops,” Crynock said, with a smile. “I think that’ll be super exciting when that happens.”

Cole Crynock in the front office of the AHL. (Photo Courtesy of Cole Cryncok)

Searching for a peace of mind

_ By Patrick Fergus _ @Fergus5Fergus

While some seek to divide, others want to unify. A group of students at Springfield College have decided to focus on the latter. The Peace of Mind club, started by graduate student Zach Olivan and senior Kyle DeBlasiis, has set out on a simple mission: to spread peace, love and positivity.

The two started the club this year when they saw an imperative need for a safe space for students to come together as a community. Whether that be through meditation, group projects, or laying down together in the grass for ten minutes and soaking up the sun, it was important to Olivan and Deblasiis.

Peace of Mind’s incep tion was as simple as the typical, “Hey, we should start a club!”, and the posi tive feedback they received only helped them take the first steps to implement their idea..

Both Olivian and Deb lasiis came to Springfield for the academic programs, but quickly became con nected with the Humanics philosophy. Spirit, mind, and body are at the core of everything at Springfield, and the importance of not just a student’s physical well-being but equally their intellectual and spiritual health was welcoming.

“That stuck with me,” said Debalsiis about the symbol, “I know how to get my mind right, I know how to get my body right…but how do I get in touch with my spirit?”

For Deblasiis, he started doing meditation and jour naling, and once meeting Zach Olivan, the ability to connect with his spirit became second nature. Both yearned to share the feeling with others.

Peace of Mind is not like many other clubs. There are no set meet ings, no formal meetups,

and little to no required commitment. Instead, it is broken down into four main divisions; Earthing, Med itation, Event, and Social Media.

Earthing is led by Deb lasiis and typically entails inviting other members to enjoy their environment and surroundings. Often group meditations will be held outside to recharge and become connect with the Earth around them.

“I’ll just lay there and feel the sun hit my face, and feel the breeze come though, and I think it’s the most natural, real feeling that you can have,” Debla siis says.

Both Olivian and Deb lasiis stress the importance of resting your mind, be cause in turn that will help your body and spirit deal with the trials and trib ulations of everyday life. Letting your mind wander and experience the peace of the planet is important,

with the club highlighting it as an essential part of taking care of your spirit, mind and body.

So far, the club has attracted numerous stu dents looking to better themselves in every aspect. Currently, the Group Me chat serves as the leader’s primary communicator and has over 95 members, and new students join daily.

Other important club members are junior Zoe Cruz, and first-year gradu ate student in the events di vision, Natalia Kompocholi. Mac Fornili, a sophomore, handles the social media side and is in charge of public relations.

Olivian and Deblasiis also disapproved of the negative perception of dif ferences in modern culture. Each has had their fair share of experiences with people of different races and religions, and choose to celebrate the dissimilarities.

“Recognizing that you

are you, I am me, and we can co-exist together, and it’s as simple as that,” Oliv ian said.

Peace of Mind is flipping the script on the inclusion movements, with focusing first on loving yourself, then sharing that feeling of love and positivi ty with others as a by-prod uct.

“I’m not a fan of giving love, because when you give something, it implies that you don’t have it anymore,” Olivian said.

Peace of Mind not only wants to spread positivi ty, love, and kindness, but wants to make everyone realize how grateful they are, even if they don’t see it that way. Deblasiis, Olivi an, and the other members of POM have dedicated themselves to the better ment of their community, and for that, the Springfield College community should all be grateful.

Springfield College students Zach Olivan and Kyle DeBlasiis, co-founders of the Peace of Mind club, set out to create a safe space to spread love and positivity on campus.

Co-founders of the Peace of Mind club Zach Olivan and Kyle DeBlasiis (left) along with more group members (right). (Photos Courtesy of Mac Fornili)

Natalie Billet

In this week’s Springfield Student Women’s Athlete of the Week poll, Natalie Billet took first with 47.1% of the vote. The sophomore outside hitter for the women’s volleyball team showed offensive and defen sive skill when she combined for 20 kills and 23 digs in the Pride’s two matches this past week.

Behind Billet was Taylor Suozzo with 23.5% of the vote. The sopho more tennis player swept her singles match (6-2, 6-0) and swept her dou bles match in the Springfield wom en’s tennis team’s win over Gordon.

Kristina Kyle took third place with

Chris Cruz

Taking this week’s Springfield Student Men’s Athlete of the Week honors was Chris Cruz with an im pressive 48.8% of the vote. The se nior midfielder for the men’s soccer team scored a goal against MIT and got off three shots on goal through out the week.

Arsen Shtefan came in second place with 26.8% after a great week on the gridiron. The junior running back for the football team ran for 83 yards and three touchdowns on six carries in Springfield’s victory over Husson.

Joseph Cannizzaro was tied for third place with 12.2% of the vote. The senior running back for the football team ran for 87 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in Springfield’s victory over Husson. Waseem Sablon rounded out the vote with 12.2%. The sophomore tennis player won his single match handedly (6-2, 6-0) in the Spring field men’s tennis team’s win over Gordon.

Be sure to follow The Student on Twitter @TheSpfldStudent to vote in the next poll!

17.6% of the vote after an impres sive performance on the pitch. The first-year midfielder for the wom en’s soccer team had the assist to set up the go-ahead goal in the Pride’s 1-0 win over Wellesley.

Veronica Fulgieri rounded out the vote with 11.8% of the vote.

The senior tennis player swept both sets of her singles match and swept her doubles match in the Springfield women’s tennis team’s win over Gordon.

Chris Cruz. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

Natalie Billet. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)

What does Title IX mean to you?

The official ruling of Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be sub jected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” However, this collection of words has a different meanings to students at Springfield, depending on a wide variety of factors, such as race, gender identity, class, and more. In recognition of Title IX’s 50th anniversary this year, The Student’s Carley Crain asked students on campus what Title IX means to them. Here’s what they had to say:

Josh Ladd (Senior, he/him): “To me it means opening doors and growing equality in not just sports, but everyday life for all. Growing up in Connecticut, my family are huge UCONN women’s basketball fans. My siblings and I idolized the players on the women’s team just like we did with any other sports team. Idolizing women in sports has allowed me, as an adult, to under stand the importance of Title IX in all aspects of life and how important it is to support equality for women.”

Billy Welsby (Senior, he/him): “Title IX brings me a sense of comfort and safety knowing that myself, as well as my teammates, peers and professors at Spring field College are all treated equally and protected under the civil rights law.”

Kate Bonanno (Junior, she/her): “Title IX is so important to me because it opened so many doors for so many people around the world. It reminds me that I have the opportunity to be a part of such a special community of people at school, in athletics, and in life in general. The world is a better place with Title IX.”

As part of my Distinguished Professor of Hu manics Project, I welcome members of the Spring field College community to create an advocacy project to help educate, secure, and/or strengthen Title IX. Please email me (kmangano@springfield. edu) for a link to the Title IX Advocacy Project Registration form to sign up and for details. The advocacy project can be completed individually, in small groups, as a class assignment, as an athletic team, or by organizations and clubs, etc. All who register to complete a project will receive a Title IX T-shirt while supplies last! In addition, students who have completed their 300-level Wellness & Physical Literacy course, will be able to earn a Wellness Passport stamp(s). Deadline for regis tration is Jan. 15, 2023. Lastly, I will be hosting a Title IX Advocacy in Action Event on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, from 7-9 p.m. in the Cleveland E. and Phyllis B. Dodge Room of the Campus Union for people to showcase their projects!

Yours in Humanics, Kathy Mangano

Springfield College student-athletes voice their thoughts on what Title IX means to them and its impact on the sports community.

Getting on track

The Springfield Strength and Conditioning department is implementing GPS tracking for student-athletes in outdoor sports, and a program called Vert for volleyball athletes.

turing satellite signals, and these receptors can capture the speed and distance traveled of a chosen student-athlete.

The Vert technolo gy system, specific to vertical sports such as volleyball and basket ball, measures jump height and the num ber of jumps to try to measure the level of impact each jump has on an athlete. The measure of this impact can be used to try to weed out certain drills or actions that leaves the athlete exposed to injury.

This was described by the Associate Di rector of Strength and Conditioning, Dr. Mary Kate Feit.

input of coaches and the athletic training staff, it can be used to optimize stress put on athletes in practice.

“The coaches are incredibly eager to learn about this physiological load on their athletes,” Feit said. “We’re able to mark specific drills so that we can actually go back and see which drills cause which types of loads.”

Injury prevention is a vital part of sports today. With all the devastating injuries that occur in high level pro fessional and collegiate sports, it is apparent how career-changing injuries can be. The best way to pre

___ By Nick PaNtages Contributor

vent these injuries is to be proactive. That pro activity is exactly what the Springfield College Strength and Condi tioning department is taking care of. With the implementation of GPS tracking, and a new system called Vert,

the strength and condi tioning department is doing their part to try to prevent injury.

GPS tracking is primarily used in long distance sports like soccer, field hockey, and football. It works through a receptor cap

She said, “The goal of all those technolo gies is to monitor the workload on the ath letes…the goal is to be able to decrease injuries within our athletes.”

The collection of this data is then used to try to prevent injuries on a sport to sport basis. Specifically, by combin ing the data with the

The specificity this brings is so valuable to injury prevention and the health of the ath letes. If one certain drill is causing an excess of unnecessary stress on the body, the coaches, with help from the data that the strength and conditioning depart ment provides them, can make tweaks to practice plans, benefitting the health and conditioning of the athletes.

One problem Feit has encountered was the lack of knowledge from the student-athletes about the data.

“Something we need to get better at is pro

GPS tracking will be used for Springfield soccer athletes. (Springfield College Atheltics).

viding the information to the student-athletes so they can see it more often, and then provid ing recommendations based off what we’re seeing,” she said.

By involving the student-athletes in this, their data can become even more individu alized, to not just by sport, but by player. If one thing is extremely strenuous on an in dividual athlete, then specific changes may be suggested to just that athlete on how to take care of their body.

Despite all this proactivity to prevent them, injuries are a part of sports, and they will always happen. The technology and data is now integral in the return to play process for athletes.

“We can help monitor that they’re gradually increasing their play so that we can work real ly closely with athletic trainers to take them from being off the field and injured to back in the field or on the court playing 100%,” Feit said.

The process of returning to play is always a tricky one, with many players and programs relying on how they feel to return to play. But once data is integrated into the picture, it helps make the process more con crete, with the ability to slowly raise the stress

put on the body until it is back to what it should be or what it was before the injury.

Something that would be not as obvious that Feit really empha sized as very important to her was the collab oration between de partments this project brought.

“What I like most about it is it brings our strength and condition ing coaches into the room with the coaches to talk about practice splitting. It brings us into the problem with athletic trainers to talk about return to play.”

To have a successful program you need all the help you can get, and these extra voic es that are concerned about the well being of the student-athletes at Springfield College are always helpful.

Another example of this was the grad uate assistants in the strength and condi tioning department, who Feit credits with taking on a lot of work, and being instrumental in the success of the project.

“[The graduate students] have really taken on this extra job of looking at data in addition to their role doing the strength and conditioning for the teams… a lot of grad students are using it for their thesis or indepen

dent study,” she said.

So what is the next step? Feit and her team pointed out preseason as a time where a lot of injuries happen. Feit’s goal is to use the data they collected to try to adjust and limit physical stress during this time

to avoid some of the early injuries.

With an eye towards the future, data that is similar to this is im portant. The downside of high level athletics is the physical stress it puts on your body. The implementation and

growth of the GPS and Vert tracking systems will promote improve ment in the health of the athletes, and always will have a place in ath letics to keep everyone as close to full strength as possible.

Vert will be used for Springfield volleyball athletes. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

Jumping into a new role

___ By RiveR Mitchell Contributor

Athletics are back in full swing this year at Springfield College, and with that comes new ad ditions on the coaching front. Newly-appointed men’s and women’s full-time assistant track coach for sprints and hurdles, Charles Shoff ner, is getting ready to gear up for this upcom ing year.

Once a graduate assistant coach, Shoff ner helped out with the 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles, while he continued to work on getting his masters in Advanced Level Coaching. But when the assistant coach left last year, Shoffner jumped at the

opportunity to take his spot.

He is especially excit ed to have the freedom to plan the year how he would like to.

“I truly get to put my own spin on the season that I would like to, and just truly, truly, living the dream,” said Shoffner. “I’d say for probably 10 years, I’ve been wanting to coach at the collegiate level. Like I said, it’s just the joy of living the dream that I’ve always wanted to do.”

“I tried to play so many other sports, and it wasn’t a fit … So last but not least was track … and it immediately became something that just naturally came to me.” Shoffner said.

“Sophomore/junior year, I really started putting focus on track.”

Coaching has always been a joy for Shoffner, as he started off work ing as a coach at his own high school; then soon went to another high school across town while also being a vol unteer coach for a club team. But Shoffner’s love for track and field dates all the way back to when he was in seventh grade.

Shoffner would pro ceed to run track and field for UNC Wilming

ton and North Carolina A&T while in college, which is also where his running career would end. But even though he’s not lining up at the starting line to outrun his opponents, he takes great joy in watching his athletes take on that challenge.

“I enjoy talking, meeting new people, helping people see their goals and see their vision,” Shoffner said. “And for me it’s just a personal thing where it’s like ‘I know I helped you develop. I saw you go from here, all the way up here.’ And that’s

what really gets you excited about the whole situation.”

It is obvious that Coach Shoffner loves his job and cares about his athletes. This is why he takes so much gratifica tion in seeing his ath letes succeed.

“It’s that smile that you see a kid when they cross the finish line or get out of the pit and they’re like ‘Oh, that was it.’ To see the pure excitement on them is one of the many joys that we get,” Shoffner said.

Charles Shoffner has been hired as a full-time assistant track and field coach after a Division I running career.

Charles Shoffner. (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

Shooting for the top

The Springfield men’s golf team has gotten off to a fast start, as three players have won the MASCAC Golfer of the Week.

__ By Braedan Shea @braedan_shea

As the first month of the academic school year for Springfield College comes to a close, it now becomes a time where students are finding their rhythm. Whether that is becoming familiar with their schedules, learning the ins-and-outs of the campus; it’s clear stu dents are really just get ting back into the swing of things.

For the Pride golf

team, they are also get ting back into the swing of things – literally.

In its opening tour nament of the season, Springfield got off to a fast start, placing 12th out of 24 in the Dukes Nelson Invitational held at Ralph Myhre Golf Club in Middlebury, VT on Sept. 10-11. The Pride were led by senior Corey Roya, who turned in back-to-back rounds of

76 over the two-day tour nament and placed 28th overall individually.

For his amazing performance in the competition, where he had 20 pars and three birdies over the course of his 36 holes, Roya was recognized as the Massa chusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Men’s Golfer of the Week.

The following week,

Roya was joined by fellow senior teammate, Nicholas DeMaio, in the naming of the MAS CAC Men’s Golfer of the Week recognition. DeMaio had a great showing at the Wil liams Invitational held at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass., as he finished tied for 15th individually. Over the course of his two rounds, DeMaio had 21 pars and four birdies en route to his two-day total of 149 strokes. He opened the tournament with a 74 before adding a 75 on Sunday, helping Spring field finish 14th of 18.

After the two strong performances opening up the season, morale is high for the team. “I’m feeling pretty confident in our team right now,” Roya said. “We have put up a couple good numbers so far in tournament play, and hopefully we can continue that trend.”

In the final invitation al before heading off to the MASCAC Champi onships next week, the streak of Pride members being named as the Men’s Golfer of the Week was pushed to three, as anoth er senior, Aiden McBride, achieved the honor after his performance in the Bowdoin Invitational held at Brunswick Golf Club in ME.

Finishing tied for 26th overall as he turned in 18 pars and four birdies for an overall score of 157, McBrides weekend was highlighted by his round on Sunday, when he delivered a 74, which was the second best score in the second day of the tournament.

It is clear that this

year’s golf roster is one of the best in re cent memory; and Roya believes that the depth is one of the biggest factors as to why. “I believe this is a deeper team than we’ve had the last couple years,” Roya said. “We have a bigger roster than ever this year with a lot of talent, and hopefully we can make some noise come tournament play.”

Getting off to a good start is not only good for personal and team confidence, but it also has significance for Roya. “This season is very im portant to me, as it’s my last,” Roya said. “I want to give it my all – and have a chance to play in the national tournament.”

The MASCAC Cham pionships take place later this week, and are held at Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton, Conn. The Pride look to de throne Salem State to get their first tournament championship since the 2019 campaign. Based upon how well the team and its members do, they may have a chance at get ting to participate in the New England Intercol legiate Golf Association (NEIGA) Championships held on Oct. 15-16.

Although they don’t want to get too far ahead of themselves, the team does have the champi onship tournaments in sight.

“I’m really looking forward to our conference championship coming up this week,” Roya said. “We have a really solid chance to win and get a bid to play at nationals, so the team and I are really looking forward to that.”

Aiden McBride was the most recent winner of the MASCAC Golfer of the Week (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

The right place

After initially going to Endicott College despite Springfield recruiting her, women’s volleyball player Riley Donahue is dominating and earning recognition for the Pride.

__ By Chris Gionta @Chris_Gionta

In its opening week end of play in 2021, the Springfield College women’s volleyball team won all four of its games. Head coach Moira Long enjoyed the weekend sweep, but in one of those games, a standout first-year on Endicott named Riley Donahue was a re minder of what slipped through the cracks for Springfield.

“I was like ‘man, she can jump so high and reach the top of the pin, and it would be great if she were wearing ma roon!’” Long said.

The outside hitter gathered 10 kills in just her second career colle giate game despite the Gulls losing. Luckily for Springfield, it was the last time Donahue was on the opposing side, as just one year later, she became a member of the Pride.

Donahue’s journey into the sport started with influence from someone very close to her.

“My sister, who’s a couple years older than

me, ended up play ing volleyball in high school,” Donahue said. “And at that point, I wasn’t playing, but I was kind of watching her and watching all of

her games, and I was super interested in it.”

She went on to try out for the South Windsor High School volleyball team and made it in her first year there, and was

happy to have her desire to play be maintained throughout her tenure at the school.

“I got pretty lucky with my high school coaches and my club coaches because they kind of kept the love for the game with me,” Donahue said.

At South Windsor, she earned all-conference honors in her sopho more, junior and senior seasons. She also was named all-state for her senior year.

As her high school career progressed, more and more eyes from the college landscape went in Donahue’s direction. One of the coaches looking to get her in their program was Springfield’s Moira Long.

Recruiting at the time of Donahue’s senior season came with its own set of obstacles. It was in the fall of 2020, when COVID restric tions were very preva

Donahue going for a spike (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

lent and numbers were progressively getting worse.

“We weren’t real ly having visitors to campus,” Long said. “So I talked to her on the phone a whole bunch.”

There were obstacles that presented them selves in what may have been a critical point in Donahue’s recruiting process.

“My greatest regret that year is that she wanted to come for a visit and we weren’t allowing off-campus visitors at the time, and I didn’t meet with her because I was afraid I was going to get in trouble,” Long said.

Ultimately, Donahue decided to go to Endi cott College. There, she amassed 277 kills in 30 matches for her first collegiate season, which included an incredible 23 kills in an NCAA Tournament game.

Despite her success at Endicott, Donahue still pondered if she made the right choice.

“I, with the whole recruiting process my senior year, just kind of took a shot in the dark with Endicott,” Dona hue said. “ But, I kind of knew that school itself might be temporary going there, and team culture up there was a big thing that kind of lacked, and I over all didn’t have a great volleyball experience. I

wanted to be part of a winning culture but also a strong team culture.”

After Endicott’s season concluded, she looked into the possibility of transferring, and Springfield was one of the schools of interest again. Because of looser regulations, Donahue was able to have a more realistic experience on campus.

“When I came back in January and I came to take a look at the school again, I immediately met a couple groups of people and knew this was the school I want ed to go to just based off the culture — in the school itself and in Blake Arena with all the sports teams,” Donahue said.

Long observed what Donahue’s campus experience was like and grew more confident that the Pride’s second opportunity to get her on the team would be made successfully.

“For me, I knew she was going to fit in as soon as she sat down in Cheney with my team,” Long said.

Donahue made the transfer to Springfield and made an immediate impact on the volleyball court. In the Pride’s three opening games at the Springfield College Invitational, she com bined for 44 kills and led the Pride in the cate gory in each game. That

earned her NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Offensive Athlete of the Week honors. She combined for 50 kills in three games in the next week and was given the award again. After another successful pair of games, Donahue earned a third consecu tive NEWMAC Wom

en’s Volleyball Offensive Athlete of the Week honor.

Not only has she been able to be a star player for Springfield, but she is enjoying all aspects of her experience on the team.

“The team culture in general is awesome,” Donahue said with a

smile. “I think Coach [Long] puts a lot of emphasis on growing us as individuals and peo ple ourselves as well as volleyball players… I’ve learned a lot mentally as well as the volleyball as pect, which is really cool and really unique to be a part of a team like that.”

Donahue serving (Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics).

In the Swing of Things

The Springfield golf team has seen quality team and individual performances early in its season, as the Pride look to bring that success into the postseason.

(Photos courtesy of Springfield College Athletics)