The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is set to host Asbury University’s first-ever athlete field day.
The event will take place on Asbury’s freshly paved track and newly installed turf. This will be the first event to take place at the brand-new multi-million dollar facility.
The idea behind the event is to bring the Asbury athletic community together. The series of events will allow multiple athletes from different teams to compete together in a competitive fashion.
“The main goal we, as SAAC, are trying to accomplish is building the community amongst athletes,” SAAC President Hagan Webb said.
Some Asbury teams, like tennis and golf, don’t have the opportunity to compete or practice at any of the home facilities. Instead, they practice at courts and courses that are located in Lexington. With so many sports competing and training at various locations, the connection between athletes is something Webb hopes to cultivate.
“We noticed that our programs have a big problem in not knowing who are and aren’t athletes. So, field day is a way to get everyone together to compete in fun games,” Webb said.
The university has had a sense of disconnect since the coronavirus abruptly affected socialization on campus back in 2020. It canceled many of the sporting events during the spring semester and affected the accessibility to support fellow athletes at home games.
There was a large decline in attendance since the outbreak, and participation hasn’t made it back to normal since. The field day is a particular bonding experience that is intended to bring back the special fellowship amongst athletes.
“The Field Day will be a great way for our student-athletes to build comradery and a deeper appreciation for the unique opportunity they have to compete,” said Mark Whitworth, Asbury University Athletic Director.
Each player on every team will have a chance to compete in at least one of the events. This gives athletes a unique experience to excel in various competitive activities.
Some of the games will include dodgeball, tic tac toe relay race, water balloon toss, tug-o-war, hula hoop pass, and an obstacle course. Athletes will also get to see their coaches in a new light with a relay race between just the coaching staff.
The teams participating in field day will include men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s golf, men’s and women’s swimming, volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track & field, cheerleading, baseball and softball.
Involving each team and also merging teams together in certain events will hopefully encourage a better bond within the athletic community. It is also intended to hopefully bring more people to other sporting events to support their fellow athletes.
“I pray that it will forge new relationships among our 17 teams that will encourage us all to grow deeper in our faith in Christ,” Whitworth said.
“I am looking most forward to getting an opportunity to bond with athletes from other teams,” said tennis player and SAAC member, Asa Callow.
Although this is intended to be a bonding experience, there is an incentive. Each player will be competing with athletes from other teams but also gathering points for their own team with each win. The overall winning team will not only win bragging rights but also a big trophy to show off in their locker room.
SAAC has spent many hours putting this event together for the athletic department. It is meant to be some competitive fun for all athletes and coaches to enjoy, but hopefully bridge the gap between athletic teams.
“I am grateful for the leadership of the SAAC and their commitment to representing Asbury well,” Whitworth said.
SAAC is allowing coaches to plan ahead for the event and strategize what players will compete in what games, giving them the best chance to win.
The event was officially approved by Whitworth on Sept. 18. It is now set to take place on Sept. 24 but is dependent on the weather. SAAC will be continuing to announce details about the event.
Article written by Spencer Harvey.