While most Baker University students will experience a chilly winter wonderland during winter break, the women’s basketball team will be enjoying a warmer holiday as it travels to Florida for games and sets off afterward for a four-day cruise.
Women’s basketball coach Susan Decker said the team tries to do something out of the ordinary and go someplace warm during winter break every few years.
“It’s an opportunity for us to play two games against teams we don’t see on a regular basis and take some time off before Christmas break,” Decker said.
Decker said the team is scheduled to play games on Dec. 16 and Dec. 17 and to leave for the cruise on Dec. 18.
The team is scheduled to leave Dec. 15, returning Dec. 22. Decker said the women would play at Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla. The Wildcats are scheduled to play teams from Azusa Pacific University, a team from California, and Mount Mardi College out of South Dakota.
Sophomore Kendra Schaefer, who red-shirted due to an injury last year, said Decker brought up the idea to the team at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year.
“She presented it to us at the end of last year so we could start getting fund-raising ideas,” Schaefer said. “We all thought we could raise enough funds, so we thought it was a good idea.”
Schaefer said the team has conducted several fund-raisers during the year.
“We have sold turkey legs at Maple Leaf and parked cars during the Chiefs home games. We also held a free-throw-a-thon, where we called businesses and asked for donations; then we threw 1,000 free throws for those donations.”
Senior Amanda Yates said the trip is a great opportunity for the team.
“It’s pretty exciting; it’s a trip that all of us agreed to go on. We all agreed to do extra fund raising and paid a little out-of-pocket, but it’s definitely worth it to get to go someplace you probably haven’t gone and play teams we don’t normally play.”
Decker said the idea for the trip came from the coach at William Jewell College and the plans were arranged by Trip Sports.
“They do a variety of these types of trips that athletes go on,” Decker said. “They’ve organized the whole thing – our land trip and cruise trip – and put the package together.”
Schaefer said the team will have a day to spend however it chooses on the cruise.
“We have a free day at sea. We could go snorkeling or hang out with the sting rays,” she said.
She said she is looking forward to the trip because she has never been on a cruise or to Florida.
“It will be a fun way to get away from the stress of finals and hang out with friends and play some basketball,” Schaefer said.
She said she also likes the idea of playing different teams.
“I like it because it presents a challenge to us, and it’s not so monotonous,” she said. “You get out of the conference and see how you compare to teams in the nation.”
Decker said the trip has other benefits, as well.
“It’s also enticing from a recruiting standpoint. I do use (the trip) as an enticement for them to look at Baker from another avenue,” Decker said.
Last year the team traveled to San Diego and played two teams before everyone headed their separate ways for Christmas.