Some of the most talented athletes in the country proudly call themselves Lord Jeffs. As aspiring young athletes are wont do, many Jeffs dreamt of Div. I or professional competition as children, always striving to be the best. These athletes carried that mentality to Amherst, a small school with a Div. III athletic program. These dreamers have flourished in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), doing so without the funds and fame that Div. I athletes are awarded. So what motivated these students to attend Amherst when talent would allow several of them the benefits of a Div. I university?

An educated decision, a thought-out choice and a dream bigger than sports are what moved talented athletes to attend Amherst. Jeffs are dedicated scholars who refuse to give up their passion for sports. For most athletes, playing sports at Amherst is their last chance to practice and demonstrate their skills, regardless of the division and its distinctions. "We're not Div. I. We don't give scholarships," said Co-Interim Athletic Director David Hixon '75. "We just get the kids who love to play."

In addition to their inseason commitments, Amherst athletes are anxious to participate in offseason training regimens. Unlike their Div. I counterparts, Jeffs are not required to attend offseason sessions, but do so voluntarily. This was unmistakably demonstrated by the success of a physical education class called "Intense Speed Endurance Training," which was run by head field hockey coach and assistant women's lacrosse coach Carol Knerr. Knerr had spring athletes in mind when she volunteered to run the program in the weeks before the traditional physical education block started. "Over 50 students attended this class at some point," said Knerr, "There were at least four varsity teams represented, as well as club sports, intramurals and people who were just there to get in shape." But besides this opportunity, many spring athletes find offseason training to be complicated.

Evidence of this issue is found in the lack of adequate facilities and space for spring teams to train in the preseason. Under NESCAC and Div. III regulations, spring teams can run practices throughout the year, but coach cannot be present. Known as "captains' practices," these sessions are crucial for the preparation and welding of a new team facing a new season. While some may see this as a Div. I tactic, it is in fact widely practiced among Div. III schools.

To be able to have captains' practices, teams must share one fairly small indoor practice space: the Coolidge Cage. Because of the weather conditions, outdoor teams are flocking to the only available indoor facility. Michelle Morgan, the senior women's administrator and head coach of the women's team said, "Right now it is not a lot of fun outside so the athletes come down and do what they are passionate about inside."

Consequently, captains of spring teams struggle to organize practice times that don't conflict with other extracurricular and academic commitments that make athletes the well-rounded students Amherst prides itself on. Since the indoor track team is in season during the winter, it had priority in the Cage, which reduced the time that the spring sports could hold informal practices. "The preseason commitment was a little more relaxed than I had hoped," said Laura Vincent '09, a lacrosse player. "There were fewer practices than I expected, but scheduling time in the Cage has been difficult since the fall."

Though the majority of spring athletes struggle with this issue, the men's and women's golf teams are exceptions. The two share a golf room, which contains hitting nets, mirrors and a practice green. "We share space with the women's team, but both teams get as much access to the room as they need," said Head Coach of the men's golf team Jack Arena '83.

However, there is a facilities crunch at Amherst, and these concerns are not limited to the offseason. Today is the first official day of practice for the spring teams, yet snow still looms over the outdoor fields. Where will these teams-now directed by coaches-go to practice? The men's and women's lacrosse teams will be forced practice at UMass late at night in the bitter cold, while the baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis and track teams will cramp up in the Cage. In order to give each varsity squad adequate time to practice, the hours that the Cage is available has been divided into slots that run from 6:00 a.m. to midnight every day.

"We are very concerned about the student-athletes' schedules from Feb. 15 to Spring Break," said women's lacrosse Head Coach Chris Paradis. "Spring athletes have the most non-traditional structure to their practice schedule."

The athletes who came to Amherst to devote their collegiate experience to academic as well as athletic achievement feel their needs are poorly met. After competing at other NESCAC schools, it appears to these students that their peers have better facilities and opportunities than the Jeffs are afforded.