Single sport athletes double-up on workouts

Author: Simon Keyes

Thirty-one. Thirty-two. Thirty-three. While most intramural participants catch their breath and engage in some friendly trash-talking, members of the Middlebury ski team are doing sit-ups on the sidelines. They are relentless in their conditioning and work hard even when the slopes are not covered with white powder. As it is for many athletes at the College, off-season training is key to their success.

This type of off-season training is what sets apart the good from the great. It is what turns mediocre teams into dynasties.

Major League Baseball teams send many of their highly touted prospects to play in winter leagues in Central America so that they can report to Spring training ready to make an impact. Off-season training, however, does not stop at the professional or Division I level.

The Middlebury women's hockey team, winners of three consecutive Division III national titles, knows what it takes in the off-season to produce a winning season. Their workout regimen involves dryland workouts five days a week for an hour, and three of those days also include weight lifting. This early in the season there is no ice. Therefore, all of the training is geared towards benefiting the muscles needed for skating and stick-handling. Kenyon Arena's lack of ice does not stop the team from practicing its slap shots on the concrete or stick handling with golf balls.

Goalie Lani Wright '10 admits, "It's definitely been tough, but the team is very supportive and they're with you every step of the way and working for the same goal." As a goalie, Wright's workouts are geared towards hand-eye coordination. She hones those skills by juggling and working with a reflex ball.

Team chemistry is also significant. The women achieve this by training together and spending meals and evenings together. Last Sunday, the entire team woke up early to participate in a five-mile walk for diabetes. Wright said, "Everyone is working for the same goal and that brings us together."

The ski team, the lone Division I team at the College, mixes fun with training as much as they can. Skiing is an individual sport, but in collegiate skiing, skiers rely heavily upon their teammates. The ski team thus makes great efforts to create a strong bond amongst its members.

This starts on the IM soccer field, where the ski team is a powerhouse, using their athleticism to lay waste to other teams. Mattie Ford '09 said, "We play IM soccer because it's fun and we like to win. It builds team spirit and team work. It's a chance to do something active and fun as a team." After a win and a few hundred sit-ups, the team is most likely beginning a nice long run to cap off another soccer victory.

Ski training focuses mostly on legs, which need to be strong to endure a long run down a ski slope. To work this, the team does many anaerobic activities including hiking, sprints and squats. With no snow in sight for the near future, the ski team is planning a trip to Summit County, Colo. where their hard work this fall will make for an easy transition onto the slopes.

The men's lacrosse team, unlike the two aforementioned teams, has two seasons to prepare for their sport. Therefore, their workouts this fall are not nearly as intense or regimented. Matt Ferrer '09, an attack on the team, said, "It would be too long and intense to maintain that high level of workouts for two seasons."

Not to mention, NCAA rules ban spring teams from having official practices until Feb. 15. So for now, the lacrosse team is focusing on getting to know the new faces on the squad. They meet two to three times a week on the fields to play pick-up games. "It's good to be out there playing and building team chemistry. It's especially good for the young kids to get acquainted with a different level of lacrosse," said Ferrer.

New coach Dave Campbell is also open to different forms of fitness. The lacrosse team has an IM touch-football team, plays pick-up basketball and even has a squash ladder. Fun and games are held back more in the winter when the team begins to create lifting groups to weight train and run together. Once Feb. 15 comes around and the team has its first official practice, there will be one goal on the team's mind - another national championship.

The College is a perennial NESCAC powerhouse. It is the dedication of each team and the off-season work they do that helps drive Middleburys sports.

It is the extra sit-ups that shave a few hundredth seconds off the skiers' race time and once they sit-up they will be standing up on the podium. Thirty-four. Thirty-five. Thirty-six.