If you share this struggle, take in some advice to help you perform to your full potential for the next season.
What can I do outside of the school season?
Having a strict schedule, practicing every day and playing games a few times a week can make a huge impact on an athlete’s performance. However, once those go away during the off-season, it can be difficult to stay motivated without the support of teammates or a coach constantly pushing you.
Although the school season is over, there are several other ways you can use the summertime to lock in. First of all, join a club! There are roughly 10 year-round volleyball clubs just around the Oviedo area ranging anywhere from $1000–$3000 a year. However, joining a “mini club” that only plays over the summer, with shorter seasons and smaller prices, is great for beginners.
Another method of outside practice is getting private coaching. Many of the coaches from school or clubs offer private coaching, or websites like CoachUp help athletes find one for them. Private coaching is a great way to improve technique because of the direct feedback and instruction.
Freshman Zoe Spencer plays volleyball and tennis, and is planning on doing beach volleyball next year.
“Private lessons give me more individual time,” Spencer said. “I can focus on some skills that might have been overlooked during a group practice.”
Not only is there private coaching, but group lessons are also a great way to get some extra practice in. Most of the sports at Hagerty offer summer open gyms and clinics before their season starts in the fall. Cross country, for example, offers online training plans and summer runs starting in June and continuing until August, when the season begins.
What are more affordable ways to get better?
Clubs, gym memberships and private lessons can all get pricey, but there are many other ways you can stay active without any cost at all.
First off, take advantage of a free gym membership for the summer! Although you may run into the entire school, the Planet Fitness gyms offer high school students a free summer pass from June 1 to Aug. 31. With lots of strength and cardio equipment, dumbbells, a stretching area, a 30-minute circuit room and showers, it is a great way to stay active while having fun.
Not only does the gym have cost-free ways to exercise, but so does your own home!
“If you don’t have weights, you can use heavy objects in your house, and curl it or press it,” sophomore Meredith Schmitt said. “You can use a chair or a box and do step ups or box jumps which really help in volleyball.”
Household items can be turned into exercise equipment with a little creativity. However, if you are looking more for a cardio-based practice, turn to a form of cross-training, such as running.
“I do a lot of running in the summer, [and] it really helps with endurance,” Schmitt said.
Authors from WebMD recommend cross training because it improves fitness in all areas. It also decreases the chance of injury because you are working different muscles each day and you can substitute workouts for other ones to have a better recovery. For example, a runner could use swimming or an elliptical machine as an alternative form of workout because not only can they be used as a recovery, but they also train other muscles.
How can I stay consistent and avoid burnout this summer?
With no coach hammering you about conditioning or after school cooldowns, it can be easy to slack off. Although bathing in the sun feels like a workout, there are many ways you can stay motivated and live a healthy, active lifestyle.
To start, get in the right mindset. The summer gives athletes the opportunities to focus on themselves and use their time however they want. Writing out goals or step-by-step plans in a journal is a great way to stay motivated and committed.
“Summer is a good time to lock in because you have a lot of time,” sophomore Amelie Hing Batista said. “And you don’t have to worry about the stress of school and keeping up with academics and constant assignments.”
Author Matthew Solan from Harvard Health Publishing advises to match your workout to your personality. For example, those who have a strong conscientious trait are more suited for all-around workouts that combine aerobic and strength training as these types of people are more driven to achieve goals through planning and persistence.
A final recommendation, and perhaps the most important, is to find a workout buddy. Working out should be a positive experience and you should find yourself having fun with someone who brightens your mood but at the same time, pushes you to your best.
