Although high school sports seasons only last about 2 months, athletes push themselves to their limits year-round in order to succeed. Athletes’ off seasons are crucial to their performance because that’s their time to take the utmost care of their physical and mental health, focusing on working toward and achieving their goals. Different sports and different athletes train very differently, whether it’s the type of exercises they do, what they incorporate into their diet, who they work with, and how they stay calm and content. Resting your body and working out new muscles often enhances your performance when returning to your season because you are healed up and stronger than your competitors.
“I do push myself in the offseason enough to where if I need a recovery day I can recover fully and then I go hard again,” said sophomore soccer player and track runner, Antonio Acevedo-Mardones. “I try to push myself to be better before my season starts so that I have all that fire ready to get into my season.”
Working hard and pushing your body is crucial to improving your performance. You will never see progress if you do not put in the effort to become better. That being said, you will never improve if you do not take the time to recover and rest your body as well. If you spend multiple days in a row working out until you can not breath, are sweating profusely, and feel exhausted, you need to make sure that you take a while to recover and nourish your body until you feel 100% again. This will lead you to play better than you would have if you did not take the break, because you would be drained. Meditation, journaling, reading, and sleeping well are all great ways to help an athlete’s mind relax and have them become aware of their surroundings. With this, the stress that forms because their sport slowly begins to diminish. Although some may believe that training as much as possible will only make you better, that’s false. Prioritizing your body and mind wellness will lead athletes to ultimate success. Training with competitive or club teams in your off season is another great way to prepare you for your upcoming school season.
“Yes, I play on an Angels 16-U competitive team in the fall and spring,” said freshman Abby Files. “That team helped me get ready to play in high school and feel more confident in my overall game.”
Many athletes begin their sports careers by playing for a competitive or club team, organization, etc. They will often continue to play for that team when they are not playing for their school. It is arguably the best way to condition and ensure that you are getting better and gaining skill in your school’s offseason. Playing on a competitive team like File’s may make you tired and leave you feeling burned out from participating in whatever sport you play, but it does give you the experience and expertise that your high school coaches and college recruiter will be hoping to see. Playing on a team outside of school will dramatically increase your chances of playing at the collegiate level, if that is what you desire in your future. Your knowledge of the sport will grow, as well as your athletic ability and performance. There are so many good teams to join if you are looking for a way to get better outside of a school environment. Your hopes and dreams regarding your sport should always be on your mind.
“By the end of my offseason, I’m just hoping to make a better team and make sure that scouts are paying attention to me,” said freshman Bella Garcia.
A team’s dynamics are very crucial to focus on, because without them, a team will never communicate properly and feel close or connected to one another. Ensuring that your team feels comfortable and connected with one another is important for achieving and winning in your season. There is no better time than an athletes off season for athletes to learn about one another and bond. Team dinners, sleepovers, or other activities are all ways that EHS athletes have done to become friends with everyone on their team.
“I definitely feel like I have more time in my offseason to do school and better my grades,” Garcia said. “I try to focus on my grades year round, but they do end up getting better when I’m not in season.”
A student-athlete’s academics should always be one of their top priorities. Getting good grades and doing well in school will ensure that your future will be comfortable. Very few people play their sports in college and then continue on to go pro. Making a living from playing your sport is not common, and is a great dream, but will only work out for a select amount of people. Working a job that relates to sports or the sport you play is another great way to connect with your sport in your future. Good grades and a proper education will be required to do that, though. Your career does not have to relate to what sport you play, as there are a variety of other ways to have it in your life.
There are a lot of different ways to train in the offseason, but it is important to make sure that you are prepared for your upcoming season and are working hard to focus on achieving your goals, working hard in school, and taking care of yourself.
