The “offseason” is the somewhat deceiving name for the time of year when athletes supposedly have time “off” from their sports. From an outside perspective, this time is when the athletes rest in between their competitive seasons. In reality, the athletes are training harder than ever, working behind the scenes to prepare for the next season.
Lewis & Clark soccer, football and volleyball athletes are all currently partaking in their off-season training. These duties include lifting, limited practices, individual training and dreaming of the next season. For the athletes unsatisfied with their team’s performance or final rankings from their previous season, the offseason is fueled by motivation for next year. The harder you work in the offseason, the better you will be next year. However, the rearview mirror is just for glancing, not for staring. The offseason is all about looking ahead.
Even for team sports, the offseason is a time when athletes focus more on improving their individual performances. Head Lifting Coach Angela Dendas-Pleasant (to her athletes, Coach Ange) oversees the weight-training program for all athletes. Dendas-Pleasant highlighted three main points for athletes to focus on during the offseason, emphasizing how athletes can go into the summer at their best.
“Get stronger, get faster and get healthy,” Dendas-Pleasant said. “What makes the offseason successful is when the athletes continue to see improvement every year. Constant development and moving up every year is success.”
Assistant Coach John Corkle described the hard work athletes put into the off-season training.
“The offseason is important because it helps provide a foundational base of fitness and gives us an opportunity to work on weaknesses we may have in our athleticism. It’s the time to build, so we are looking to get stronger and improve our body composition,” Corkle said. “Once in season, we are just trying to maintain and feel like we can perform at a level we need to for being competitive and to win games.”
The offseason is important for setting up success for competition. It is a time of discipline, pushing one’s limits and setting new personal goals and records. Athletes dedicate themselves to refining technical skills, increasing endurance and developing mental toughness. Dylan Weinstein ’27, a player on the men’s soccer team, explains the motivating factor of the offseason.
“Good enough isn’t good enough if it can be better,” Weinstein said.
Whether waking up before sunrise for weight training or staying after practice to perfect a skill, the offseason is when athletes prove their commitment to their sport. It is a time of clarity and focus for athletes without the pressure and stress of competitive games.
Ainsley Mochrie ’28 and Ruby Kuerschner ’27, both on the women’s volleyball team, described how the offseason helps them and their team.
“The offseason gives us a chance to prepare for the next season by working on specific skills,” Mochrie said. “I really want to get more confident playing in the back row and just overall feel more confident in my skills as a player and I want to get stronger.”
Kuerschner felt similarly, often going above and beyond the suggested training program.
“I try to push myself during lifts with the weight I’m lifting and speed training because I have more time to recover,” Kuerschner said.
While the physical aspects of the offseason are crucial, so is the rest time and recovery techniques. This is also a time to attend to underlying injuries to avoid having to deal with them during the next season. The entire goal of the offseason is for athletes to enter the next season stronger, and the hard work they put in will show come competition time. As the LC athletic teams say, roll pios!
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