Plenty of high school athletes want to play college sports–but can they manage the hectic schedules of a college athlete? High school recruits seeking an easier workload might look to D3–but athletes' schedules at the D3 level are still no walk in the park. Take It from Kyle Woodring, a football player and Urban Studies Major at Trinity College. This is his Daily Grind in his own words.
7:30- 7:50 am: Team Meeting
Monday mornings are the first time we come together as a team. We have goals for every game and we go through them. The head coach, Coach Devanney, will give a debrief of the game and give out our weekly awards. These are the Offensive Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the week, Special teams player of the week, and the offensive and defensive Scout team players of the week.
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7:50-8:30 am: Position Meetings
We then break up into position groups. The offensive line meets without our coach and we break down the game film. The Athletes that played in the game received grades, evaluating the performance. Coach will break down the film and show corrections that need to happen.
8:30-9:30 am: Workout
We workout in season twice a week: Mondays and Wednesdays.The players who just played in the game will work on maintaining their strength and addressing injuries. The players that did not play are trying to build strength and develop.
10:00 – 11:15 Ancient Greek Philosophy
Classes schedules at Trinity can be very different from others. Football players try and take classes in the morning so they don't have to miss practice.
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11:30-12:00 pm: Lunch
The main dining hall on campus opens up at 11:30 every day, and it is important to go right when it opens. Opening time is the least busy time, so that is the best time to go. Going to the dining hall at 11:30 allows me to eat and have some free time before my next class
1:30 – 2:45: Ethics class
2:45 – 3:45 pm: Film
The team first meets as an offense and defense on Mondays and go over the next opponent. Coaches hand out scouting reports on the team. This is a report of the defense, what they run, and their formations. There is also a page about the opposing players and their strengths and weaknesses. Coaches spend a lot of time breaking down film and studying their plays before this meeting; they have a good understanding of the opponents and their habits.
Film every week is held at the same time, but the rest are held by position. We go with our position coaches and go over game situations. Every day we will generally go over some type of game time situation: first downs, Third and long, third and short, backed up in our own territory, or redzone. After the meeting, we go to the locker room and get ready for practice.
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4:10 – 6:00 pm: Practice
Practices are never the same day-to-day; we are always working on different situations and different drills. Monday practices are shorter and lighter than most days:
- Monday: Helmets
Monday practice is mostly going over formations or running the plays we expect to run on saturday. We also condition after practice
- Tuesday: Full Pads
Tuesday is when things speed up. The team is running contact drills and competing. We're also practicing our plays against the scout team.
- Wednesday: Half Pads
Same as Tuesday, but with different drills and situations.
- Thursday: Helmets
We're polishing up plays and finishing the gametime situations we will face on Saturday. There is a bigger emphasis on special teams on Thursdays.
- Fridays: Helmets
Friday is a walkthrough day. We do not practice against the scout team, but we run many different plays and practice the two-minute drill.
6:30 pm: Dinner
I always go to the dining hall after showering in the locker room. Dinner after practice is the most fun because the whole team sits at one long table. It is a good way to decompress and talk with my teammates over food.
7:30: Homework / Game Preparation
I will usually start my homework or watch game film after getting home. Homework can take anywhere from 90 minutes or 5 hours depending on major or course load. Fortunately, most nights in the fall are easier as I try to schedule the challenging classes in the spring. If I have any free time, I will hang out with his housemates and watch T.V.
10:30 – 11:30 pm: Bed
I try to go to sleep sometime between 10:30 and 10:30; I find I perform better after a good night's sleep.
What's a day in your life like? Share your Daily Grind at [email protected]
Image Credit: Trinity Athletics
* Originally published on April 19, 2023, by Ryan Wiley
