Fall Sports Gear Up For Off-Season Conditioning:

The end of fall semester means the beginning of the holidays, final tests, and also the end of the fall sports season. Members of the fall sports teams like cross country and soccer work hard all season, but unmistakably, the hard work continues even when the regular season ends.

The offseason is not a vacation time for student athletes. If anything, they use that time to work harder.

"The offseason is extremely important," said head Men's soccer coach, Michael Lawrence. "You make or break your team during the offseason."         

Being in a transitional phase raised some challenges for the men's soccer team.  Twelve new freshmen were introduced to the team this year. Because the majority of the team is now made up of freshmen, they are still working on building the chemistry that comes with experience.

"It took some time for everyone to know each other," said Lawrence. "It's an adjustment period for them to learn how to play at the Division I level."

Coach Lawrence hopes to use the time off from regular play for his team to get stronger and more mature after transitioning to Division I soccer.

"They are a young, close-knit group that does a lot of things together. That will be good for future success," said Lawrence.

The team also agrees that learning how to play as a team was one of their biggest challenges.

"We had a lot of underclassmen. We weren't jelled completely. We have to focus on that," said midfielder, Austin O'Brien, freshman, undecided major.

Forward, Patrick Rose, a junior, computer information systems major said along with learning to play together the team needs to work on their intensity while learning about the game and finishing opportunities to score.

The team played its last game at the end of November. Because final exams were approaching, players used their newly-acquired free time to concentrate completely on their schoolwork.

But after finals ended, the physical work began.

Since the NCAA only allows teams to practice a maximum of eight hours a week during the offseason, players have to be responsible for working out individually.

"We weight-lift as a team about two to three times a week," said O'Brien. "We all try to come together and work out."

Not only does the team feel exercising is an important part of the offseason routine, but continuing to eat healthy is vital to them as well. Coach Lawrence encourages his players to eat a balanced diet.

"No soda, pasta, and a lot of fruits and vegetables," he said. Regardless of whether teams are practicing eight hours a week or 20, it takes dedication to be a student-athlete. 

Rose likes to use the offseason to celebrate the first half of his title.

"I enjoy playing during the season, but I also enjoy just being a regular student sometimes too," he said.