Big Green athletes face the difficult task of balancing rigorous athletics and academics. For in-season athletes, missing classes, long bus rides and sleepless nights of studying are routine. But during the off-season, athletes experience an entirely different Dartmouth. With most spring sports over well before the term ends, athletes on all teams turn to other pursuits.
"We practice pretty much all year round, throughout the fall, winter and beginning of spring," women's tennis player Melissa Matsuoka '14 said. "Tennis can be very time consuming, so having the off-season in the spring allows us time to do other activities at Dartmouth and really explore other things. "
Many Dartmouth athletes use the off-season to explore other parts of Dartmouth, including Greek life and community service.
"I've been able to become more involved in my sorority and attend events that I normally wouldn't be able to attend," softball player Megan Averitt '15 said.
Men's hockey player Charlie Mosey '15 enjoys his time as a member of the Chi Heorot fraternity.
"During the season, we spend most of our time together as a team, so its nice to be able to get to know the other guys in the fraternity in the off-season," he said. "I'm also starting to volunteer. I did the Special Olympics this spring and I plan on doing voluntary home repair over sophomore summer."
Field hockey players fill some of their free time with community service.
"During the spring when we have more free time, most of my teammates try to do at least one extra-curricular," Olivia Quaglia '14 said. "A lot of us are involved with Thetford Mentors, where we go to Thetford Elementary School once a week."
Matsuoka co-leads Big Green Readers, a program where student-athletes read to children once a week at Mount Lebanon Elementary school.
"I really enjoy interacting with the kids and participating in some of their activities while they are in school," she said. "It's a really good experience giving back to the community."
Despite having more free time, many Big Green athletes endure intense off-season training regiments.
"Even though fall is our off-season, we do a lot of preparation for the season," Averitt said. "We start with testing to make sure everyone has been working hard over the summer, and there is a lot of heavy conditioning and lifting."
The men's hockey team still practices in the post-season, but stays off of the ice.
"In the spring, we lift three days a week in Floren, practice stick skills one day and do cardio workouts another day," Mosey said.
Without the pressures of competition, staying motivated in the off-season can be a challenge. To combat this, some teams participate in team-building and goal-setting programs.
"This off-season we did something different with [Dartmouth Peak Performance] and [assistant athletic director for leadership] Steven Spaulding," Mosey said. "We set goals for what we want to accomplish next season, and its helpful to keep those goals in mind while we train because a lot of the work needed to achieve those goals happens in the off-season."
Many other teams have participated in "The Program," a two-day team building exercise consisting of intense mental and physical challenges.
"It was something that we revisited throughout our entire season," Averitt said. "We incorporated parts of it into our warm-ups and something we continue to talk about as a team, so it was a great experience for us."
The women's tennis team also participated in The Program after their spring season ended.
"It was definitely intense, but it was a great exercise for team cohesion and team building," Matsuoka said.
The women's tennis team also makes off-season goals for the summer to stay motivated.
"We meet one-on-one with our coach and set goals for over the summer so we stay in shape so that we are ready for the fall season," Matsuoka said. "Our coach usually gives us a running and lifting program, and we discuss how often we want to hit, and some of the tournaments we want to play in over the summer."
Soccer player Paige Dekker '13 and football player Rob Bathe '13 finished their athletic careers in the fall. In their last two terms, both found valuable ways to spend their time.
"In the winter, job-searching kind of filled the hole that soccer used to fill, but now in the spring I've tried to take advantage of other things," Dekker said. "I performed in the spring concert with the Gospel Choir, and I also participate in a Bible study."
Dekker, who has always loved running, completed a half-marathon this past weekend at Lake Winnipesaukee.
Bathe opted to join the rugby team after he finished his career as an offensive lineman for the Big Green.
"Whether it was the human dogsled race during the winter games, or barbecuing at Lake Mascoma, or getting to the Ledges more, I've been trying to use my time to do all these things that are completely unique to Dartmouth and New Hampshire," he said.
