Off Season

We have come to the end of our season and now it is time for every coaches nightmare, the off-season.  I coach at the Division III level where we are not allowed to work with our athletes once the season is over. When I was younger, I hated this and felt I needed to be in control and tell my team what to do or they will go backwards.  Now that I am more experienced and have seen many off-season, I like putting the ownership on the athlete because we are ultimately training for the game of life, and life does not have an off-season, rather, staying fit and healthy takes consistency and discipline.  You won't have a coach anymore.

I think the key's to a successful off-season are taking pride in your conditioning, making it fit, and being yourself.

1.  As an athlete, there is a sport season, but you never take a break from being an athlete.  In other words, and athlete needs to maintain their conditioning, strength and flexibility, and their skills year round.  This does not take as much as most think, but it does take consistent aerobic conditioning, maintaining or building strength and flexibility, and spending time working on drills.  We live in a culture where it is easier to brag about how much we are not doing versus how much we are doing.  Be proud of your conditioning, maintain your strength, and work on your skills.  Even if you do them in smaller chunks than you do during the season, it will make a difference.  If you do the next two steps, you CAN be an athlete in the off-season.


2.  Be creative with your schedule.  I have athletes doing a little of everything out of the season.  We have some athletes fortunate enough to swim with a club, but many are doing internships, or working long hours to pay tuition.  Find a schedule that works and compliments your internship or your work schedule.  Sometimes you may have to get it done in the morning, or at other odd times, but it can be done.  This is a good lesson to learn for later in life.  Eventually you are not going to have a 2 hour time slot devoted to swim practice and a coach telling you what to do.

3.  Be Yourself.  We have our swim-aholics, our cross-trainers, and our triathletes, and there is no right or wrong approach as long as you are working hard and enjoying what you are doing. I have had All-Americans come from all 3 categories.  Bottom line is, there are many ways to stay fit, do what you like to do and be an athlete.  What works for some, doesn't work for others, find something that keeps you moving and working hard and like the saying says "JUST DO IT!"