Sports teams are like families. They practice together, eat together, and commute together. In season, they are the people you spend the most time with.
At a commuter school like Hunter College, where the campus is just four buildings and everyone lives far apart, losing touch with your teammates is easy, especially out of season.
The women’s volleyball team at Hunter ensures they get together weekly and keep the team chemistry up by hosting “Wiener Wednesday” every week in an apartment on the Upper East Side.
Walking into the apartment the smell of hot dogs fills the room. Buns are lined up next to each other ready to be toasted and condiments are on the dining room table, where guests have the choice between ketchup and mustard.
Simone McIntyre and Lily Mattison, members of the junior class, and Vera Montalbano, a member of the sophomore class, host these events at their shared apartment. They invite the volleyball team to their apartment on the Upper East Side, where they can talk, play games and enjoy each other’s company over a hot dog.
McIntyre said the reason behind the event is that “I love traditions and creating them.” She emphasized bonding between the team members and said they should be like family. “The bond should go beyond the game,” said McIntyre, saying that staying in each other’s lives and being connected even when they are in the off season will benefit the team on the volleyball court come next season starting in August.
Izabella Willaims, a senior from Denver, Colorado, consistently participates in the Wednesday tradition. Even though she will graduate after this year, she still loves to be around her teammates. Williams says one of the most brutal hardships after the season ends is going from seeing your teammates all the time to never. “When you spend a lot of time with your teammates and coaches, and when your season is over, it is a really big transition from spending hours with them every day to not seeing each other at all,” she said.
Lily Mattison says she is grateful for her teammates and their memories and experiences on and off the court. “I work as a medical assistant. On top of work and school, it’s tough to see everyone often, so I feel lucky to be around a team that makes such an effort to be with each other,” she said.
Team chemistry was a center of emphasis the whole year. Wiener Wednesday is not the first example of actions the team took to become closer. They have hosted Secret Santa, Friendsgiving, and a Super Bowl watch party.
The most important act the team did together, according to McIntyre, was called “Spirit.” Before every game, home or away, the team would elect someone to come up with a team bonding exercise for everyone to participate in before the game.
These activities would consist of “Karaoke, playing heads up, answering deep questions and word searches,” said McIntyre. These games lightened the mood and opened everyone up to one another. “I think this year of all three of my years on the team we were the most together as a team because we did hang out a lot outside of volleyball, which helped a lot on the court,” Williams said.
This created an environment where the team flourished, with a 21-9 record and a trip to the CUNYAC finals. The biggest thing, though, is the relationships created off the court and the steps they take as a group to not only be teammates but also lifelong friends.
