Camp is usually associated with relaxing, s’mores and campfire songs but there’s nothing fluffy about preseason camp here at North Central College for fall athletic teams.
Campus has a different vibe during this stretch of time from late August into early September. Student-athletes and their coaches return to campus between two and four weeks prior to the academic year.
Compared to the school year, where there are thousands of people on campus, North Central’s campus looks almost deserted. The only people there are involved in activities including cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and women’s volleyball – giving the campus a much different vibe.
The North Central football team is a group of student-athletes and coaches that to return to campus early. The schedule the players keep in the preseason is much different than once classes start.
“During camp it’s 100 percent football and during season you have class, work and other responsibilities,” said senior defensive lineman Steve Dinov.
“We get a lot more liberties (in season) though, because you don’t have to follow a schedule for every minute of every hour,” he added. “During camp, we have to lift at specific time with a specific group, during season we lift whenever it fits into our schedule.”
The volleyball team is the first women’s sport to come back to Naperville for camp. The team has three practices a day which would make any athlete weary.
“The hardest part of camp is trying to get everyone on the team to give it their all for every practice, despite condition and constant fatigue,” said sophomore Caiti Seibert.
Fatigue is the biggest challenge North Central athletes face during this time, due to continuous training and lack of sleep.
“It’s hard getting enough sleep and still being able to produce during preseason,” said Dinov. “When your days start with stretching at 6:30 in the morning, and end with meetings after 10 p.m. The hardest part is having little recovery time.”
One of the biggest challenges the coaches face is keeping their athletes focused at all times so they often have to give their players a break. The team participated in Feed My Starving Children during the second week of camp, packing meals for less fortunate children and coming together to help others.
The volleyball coaches can have closer relationships with their athletes due to the small team size. “Our coach hosts meals at her house to show us how much she cares about us. She is like a mother to us and welcomes us into her family,” said Seibert.
The volleyball team also takes one out of state trip every year where they play a couple teams, which allows them to tour unique destinations. This gives the team the opportunity to grow closer as well as bond with their coaches.
Preseason camp gives every team the same opportunity to prepare for the upcoming season.
“The best part about camp is all the camaraderie that develops in which your teammates become your brothers,” said Dinov.
Teamwork is a product of a group of people being together for a long period of time. “In the end, camp is all worth it because we get to come in everyday and play the sport that we love with our closest friends,” said Seibert.
