Most student-athletes at Yale University welcome the holiday break as a chance to intensify their training without the stress of classes. However, feelings are mixed when it comes to where those athletes stay between semesters.
While Ivy League rivals Harvard and Princeton use campus housing to board student-athletes during break, Yale books hotel space.
According to the Yale Daily News, Yale’s residential colleges and dining halls are closed during the winter recess, and student-athletes were put up in the Marriott and Omni hotels in New Haven. The athletic department foots the hotel bills, which is more cost effective than keeping the university’s residence halls open.
Gabby Nelson, senior captain of the women’s basketball team, told the News that it was inconvenient to have to “live out of a suitcase,” but noted that living in a hotel with the whole team presented unique opportunities for fostering a close-knit team environment. Women's hockey player Lucy Burton said she was pleased by the quality of the accommodations at the Omni but bemoaned how far the hotel was from the center of campus.
Athletic director Victoria Chun, who was appointed last spring and has made it a goal of her tenure to enhance the student-athlete experience, told the News that she will continue to work with players and the Yale College Dean’s Office to explore other possible arrangement options.
