Students who happened to walk by Ute Field Wednesday afternoon were greeted with a more than few odd sights. Tomb raiders searching for mummies, a couple getting married and the cast of Duck Dynasty showcasing their latest kill, Donald Duck.
The Utah women’s soccer team held its annual Halloween practice, and everyone, including coaches, took part.
“I think it’s important this time of year that we enjoy each other’s company,” Utes head coach Rich Manning said. “We’ve been together for a long time now. It’s a way to get together in a different way other than soccer and coaching and playing.”
The practice began with a lap around the field that resembled a parade more than a training exercise. The Ute players, who were mostly dressed up in group costumes, performed skits that coincided with their outfits. There was a deer getting run over, an ape chasing a banana and a reincarnation of 90s rap duo Kris Kross, among other interesting scenes. Following the skits, the still-costumed Utes participated in drills and shootout competitions.
Manning was dressed in a skeleton costume at the practice, a much more fitting look for the holiday than the one he sported on his first Halloween at Utah. Back in 2002, Manning’s debut campaign with the Utes, Halloween happened to fall on the week Utah was getting ready to take on BYU for the Mountain West Conference championship.
“I’m getting ready for this championship game, and I have no idea that it’s Halloween,” Manning said. “I come out [to the field] and the team is all in their costumes. No one said anything to me, and I am freaking out thinking, ‘Oh my God, how are we going to get ready for this game?’”
The players, noticing their coach’s chagrin, changed out of costume and had a productive practice.
“They were great about it,” Manning said. “I saw that they had a good time, so we have kept the tradition going.”
Wednesday’s practice marked Manning’s 12th Halloween with the Utes, and the tradition is alive and well, partly thanks to former players who want it to continue.
“I get texts, calls and emails from alums wanting to see the pictures and wondering who is dressing up,” Manning said. “So, each year we kind of pass on the tradition.”
Utah is a team that is currently chasing an NCAA Tournament birth, and it has a big road trip looming this weekend in Arizona, but as Manning learned his first year with the Utes, it’s not always bad to take a step back from preparation and just have fun.