Whether you compete in your given sport in the Fall semester (August-December) or the Spring semester (January-May) in college, there will undoubtedly be a period of downtime that is referred to as the Offseason. While many student athletes, both domestic and international, see this as a time where social interaction takes precedence over all else, you can be using this time to get a step ahead of your competition by staying switched on!
As a coach, I have always told my athletes that the offseason is a time where you show your commitment to the title of “student athlete,” and you prove your loyalty and devotion toward the improvement of yourself and your college program. The offseason is a time where leaders are born, exposed, and exhibited. Adversely, it can also be a time where those that are viewed as leaders within a collegiate program may tarnish their integrity amongst their peers by making poor choices that reflect negatively onto themselves, their program, their coaches, and their school. The offseason, in many ways, will tell a coach more about you as a student athlete then what you are able to accomplish throughout your competitive season.
The competitive season is a time for maintenance and consistency in athletic performance. The offseason is a time for gains and improvements. It is the time to stack on muscle mass, continue improving your conditioning, committing to becoming bigger, faster, and stronger by putting in the work in the gym and the training facilities. Once the season comes back around, it will be about maintaining these gains. Don’t wait for a coach to make you great, show how great you are by the amount of action that you are willing to take towards improving yourself. In turn, you will be improving your program, and showing every athlete that isn’t working as hard as you that they are being left behind. Your intensity will be infectious, and you will exemplify to your peers and coaches why you are a force to be reckoned with!
Stay tuned for Part 2 folks…