It can be difficult to be a Williston athlete in the off season.
When a varsity athlete’s season is over in their main sport, if often means they have nothing to look forward to athletically. Varsity athletes have the option of participating in Athletic Performance, commonly known as AP, which involves daily strength and conditioning, but you can only do that for one trimester, due to Williston athletic rules.
Fall season is two months and three weeks long; winter season is the longest, at three-and-a-half months; and spring is around two months. For in-season athletes, their season feels the fastest; however, off season can feel the longest. This lack of motivation could affect off-season athletes’ grades and mental health.
Daniel Argueta, a junior soccer player from Guatemala, enjoys playing soccer more than going to the gym.
“The gym is good for any athlete to get better, but actually playing the sport helps you improve more, and I enjoy it more,” he said.
Daniel, however, is aware his strength training in the off-season will improve his athletic abilities when he steps back on the soccer field.
“Coach Lapan has a very good structure in the gym, and will help me get faster and stronger, so I am looking forward to that,” he said.
Elle Christakos, a senior from Northampton whose main sport is ultimate frisbee in the spring, told The Willistonian being in her off season without a sport to play poses some significant challenges.
“It’s definitely tough being in off season, from playing your sport five days a week to not playing it competitively, and it’s hard to get indoor space to practice,” she said. “We sometimes get the court to throw, but it is still inside.”
Elle said an athlete’s mental state can change in the off season.
“Mentally [it] is also hard. We train hard in the gym, but not competing in games and then just being thrown back to regular season and play[ing] two games per week [is a challenge],” Elle said. “Even though it’s off season, I like AP; it helps me [stay] strong off season so in regular season all I do is conditioning.”
Oscar Cui, a junior from China whose main sport is squash, did cross country in the fall as his off-season sport.
“It was very challenging sport; you have to run a lot every day, and some days you don’t feel it so you don’t want to do it,” he said. Cross country, however, improved “both my mental and physical strength,” he added.
Oscar is eager to start his squash season, but understands it comes at a cost.
“I have more motivation in season, [although] it takes a lot of my free time,” he said. “I also have [out of] school stuff. But overall, I prefer being in season than off season. I love my sport, and competing makes me feel better.”