College volleyball is one of a few sports that has an entire semester of off-season, but don't assume these athletes are slacking. The offseason gives college volleyball players time to prepare for the next season and work on their personal weak areas. Here are some tips and tricks for making the most of your offseason!
1. Use Your Extra Time Wisely
During the offseason, student-athletes still have workouts and practices that are planned by their coaches. However, these are not nearly as big of a time commitment as unlike during the regular season, there are no games or travel days. Even so, these workouts and practices are important as they are a great way to work individually on weak areas. Try talking to your coaches about what you specifically would like to work on during the offseason as you have the time!
Related: 8 Quick Tips for College Athletes Who Want to Stay Fit in the Offseason
2. Pick Up New Tricks
In addition, this is also the perfect time to work on new skills. During the season, skills need to be refined, plays need to be perfected, and the focus is on winning the next game. However, during the offseason, there is less emphasis on having everything perfect, giving athletes room to try and work on new skills.
3. Load Up on Coursework
When it comes to academics, the offseason is the ideal time to take more challenging courses. Because of travel and having multiple games a week, maintaining a high GPA is significantly harder during the season. Many athletes opt to take fewer hours and easier courses during the season, which should be offset by taking more hours and more challenging courses in the offseason. Luckily, volleyball has an entire semester off unlike sports like basketball whose seasons span both the fall and spring semester.
Related: How Be A Student-Minded College Athlete: 9 Tips From Director of Academics Edward Lowery
4. Take Care of Your Brain
The last tip is to prioritize mental health. Volleyball season can be very mentally draining, and is overall pretty stressful. Since you have more time and fewer stressors in the offseason, rest and recovery is what down time was made for!
Related: Managing Mental Health On and Off the Field: 4 Tips for Athletes
Overall, making the most of the offseason is about taking time to focus on yourself. Work on new or weak skills, work on becoming stronger, and take time to focus on academics and mental health!
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* Originally published on December 29, 2022, by Daley Craft
