Athletes spend a lot of time throughout the year training for games and matches. They put their bodies through countless workouts in order to stay in shape. Continuing to train and practice during the offseason is just as important as during the season.
So, what actually happens during the offseason for these student-athletes? Winter break is a time that most students use to clear their minds and rest from school.
For athletes, winter break is no different from the rest of the year. Training for student-athletes is almost year-round. Because they compete in both the fall and spring, training has to last just as long.
At North Central College, training for the tennis team is completely voluntary in the offseason. Coaches work with any of the willing athletes as long as they want to continue training.
Head Coach Ryan Jump said, “Its important that both teams know that everything that they’re doing is only going to help themselves.”
Since athletes come from different parts of the world, a lot of them travel home for the holidays. The coaches try to focus on getting them faster and stronger on their own before practices officially start back up. They try their best to encourage the players to keep the same focus and carry on the same mindset that they’ve had during the season into the offseason.
The coaches offer them workout programs that they can follow as well as the option to go practice at the indoor tennis club.
“We provide them with as many resources as possible for their tennis workouts without being able to be there for them,” said Jump.
Because the coaches can’t personally coach them during the offseason, they depend a lot on the student-athletes to put in the work in order to have a successful season.
It’s not during every break that the team separates and goes their own way. Like many teams at NCC, they take a team trip. During spring break, both the men’s and women’s teams will be traveling to Florida to compete against schools like Emerson College and Oglethorpe University.
The offseason is very important for student-athletes. This is the time that athletes take to train, get better and prepare for a great season.
“This year we have bigger potential to grow and adapt and learn from our opponents,” said Hannah Hougland, ’21.
“Tennis isn’t a sport where you can take a couple weeks off and come back and be good. You have to stay consistent at it and I think that they know that if they want to continue playing at a high level, that’s something that they need to do,” said Jump.
The men and women’s tennis team has had some success over the years. Last year’s men’s season ended with an overall record of 18-7, while the women’s team ended with an overall record of 16-7.
