As the fall sports seasons end, the players, coaches and trainers are gifted more free time. The off-season serves as a unique period for athletes to focus on aspects of their performance and well-being.
Athletes use this time to develop strength and flexibility, often incorporating weight training and cross-training to boost overall fitness. Athletes tend to follow the same trends. Multi-sport athletes switch sports and go to a winter sport. Tired athletes take this time in the off-season to relax. Hard-working athletes use their time to train year-round and work on the future of their athletic careers.
Boys’ and girls’ soccer teams suffered heartbreaking losses in the playoffs. The boys lost at Kennedy on Oct. 26 in penalty kicks, a tiebreaker after two 10-minute overtime periods. The girls suffered a state quarter-final loss at Towson High School on Nov. 1 in regulation. Football and volleyball are still in season.
Athletes like senior Toby Subiela, who plays soccer in the fall, is a multi-sport athlete who switches over to his winter sport. Subiela is a member of the winter track and field team. Subiela runs the 300, the 500, and the 60-meter sprint, as well as the long and triple jumps. This is Subiela’s first year running indoors. He is a soccer player, so he has experience running, but track is different. “This is my first year running for Wootton. I am excited, but I think it will be a lot of work,” Subiela said.
Other athletes hit the gym and continue training and working at their sports — for example, sophomore Hannah Chen. Chen was on varsity golf as a freshman and continued to be on varsity this year as a sophomore. Chen was a key member of the team. Chen said that over the winter she will continue to work, especially on putting. “Over the off-season, I will work on my game in my basement and try to go out and play on days that it is not too cold,” Chen said.
Chris Thompson is the head coach for the girls’ varsity soccer team. He also teaches modern world history and finance and is the student service learning coordinator (SSLC). Thompson said that during his fall and winter off-season, he catches up on home things. That includes seeing his son’s college soccer games more often. Thompson said he still attends meetings and plans for the next year. He recommends that players keep working and play for clubs and showcases and other high school sports to maintain a high athletic level. If a player, “I think I would do the same thing most of [the athletes] do already: play club and try some other high school sports,” Thompson said. “If I had my high school life to do over, I would have trained more in the off-season for sure.”
Ultimately, the off-season allows athletes to return to their sport refreshed, stronger and more prepared for the challenges ahead.
