Take away homework and forget about snow.

Then add a little sun and throw in some warm Florida weather.

Sounds like a vacation, right?

Not for the Penn State women's swimming team. Coach Bill Dorenkott and his swimmers actually used those same ingredients to help crank up the intensity, rather than take a break, during a 10-day training trip to Florida over the holidays.

"It's a good opportunity to train, and second it gives us the opportunity to train in a pretty upbeat environment," Dorenkott said. "We like to get down there where it's warm and sunny."

The team traveled to Coral Springs, a town about an hour north of Miami, where it trained from Dec. 27 to Jan. 7. Although it was only the third year the women went to Coral Springs, these winter training trips are not a new trend in collegiate swimming.

Penn State and other college swim teams have been choosing warmer locations for holiday practices since the 1940s and 50s.

The change of scenery, as junior Alecia Kornacki said, helps build a new enthusiasm and raise the spirits of athletes stuck in the bleakest part of what can seem like a never-ending season.

"It was outside, we were getting a little bit of a tan," Kornacki said. "Everyone was more upbeat and encouraging. I think we had some of the best practices we ever had simply because of the new area and scenery."

The swimmers followed a rigid training schedule, practicing four hours a day and hitting the weights for an hour every other day. Aside from working out, the Lady Lions also held meetings and participated in team-building activities.

"We would write down different things about ourselves and announce it, and each person had to guess who it was," Kornacki said. "You learned a little bit more about each person on the team. We also talked about our goals so we can help one another out."

Aside from these special activities, the team also grew closer because of living arrangements. Four girls shared a room, and an attempt was made to acquaint team members that don't necessarily have the chance to get to know each other during the rest of the season.

"You got to know people a lot better than when you just go to practice and then go home," freshman Kristen Woodring said. "You spent 24 hours a day with three other girls, and you got to know each other pretty well."

And, when they actually had some energy left, the team even got to go out for dinner, visit South Beach, and, many for the first time, celebrate New Year's in Fort Lauderdale.

However, these activities always took a backseat to swimming as the team prepared to focus on the toughest part of its season.

"No one goes down there hoping to go to the beach every day, lay in the sun, or go walk around the mall," senior Katie Anderson said. "Any opportunity we got to do extra things was great, but that's not why we were there."

Instead, they were there to practice, relax, and focus. They also got the chance to compete, and on Jan. 5 the Lady Lions defeated Clemson 145-61 and host Miami 128-66 before heading back to State College.

"It's kind of a reality check, just getting back into classes and stuff," Anderson said of the team's quick transition into the second semester. "But we're excited for the second half of the season and looking forward to our meets. We're relaxed, and we came home ready to get back into it."