Jordan Ehart is the captain of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County's men's soccer team, competing at the D1 college level in the America East Conference. Jordan is a graduate student and plays as a center-back for the Retrievers, wearing the number 24. Throughout his career Jordan has started in 54 of his 57 games and has suffered two major knee injuries, being able to bounce back twice. The determination that Jordan has shown to return to full fitness and to continue to compete and captain the team is incredible. Here's Jordan talking us through his daily grind and what life is like as a graduate college athlete in his own words.
8:00-9:00 am
I usually start the morning by waking up, and getting ready for the day. This consists of getting dressed, brushing my teeth, and making a quick and easy breakfast that I can take to eat with me on the way. I then drive to school, head to the locker room, and get changed and ready for strength training.
9:00-10:00 am
At 9:00 am we begin our team lift with a warm up and stretch. We then lift for the remaining hour and get protein shakes at the end.
10:00-11:00 am
After lift, I go back to the locker room to shower and get changed back into my regular shoes. I then typically drive home. Once I get back home, I make a bigger breakfast and eat it.
Related: Recipes for Athletes: The Breakfast Burrito of Champions
11:00 am-2:00 pm
During these hours I have some free time. Depending on what my priorities are at the given time dictates what I do during this time of day. I often work on homework that I have to do for numerous of my classes. If I don't have any homework to do, I often relax or even take a nap during this time.
2:00-3:30 pm
At this time, I prepare to get ready to leave for practice. This consists of making and eating some food. I also pack everything that I need with me to take for practice, such as water, an electrolyte drink, and anything else I may need. I then drive to UMBC, head to the locker room, and get changed and ready for training.
3:30-5:30 pm
During these two hours my team has practice. This consists of some technical skill work, possession drills, and scrimmaging. After it is over, it's important that all of the players help out with collecting all of our equipment. This includes things such as balls, pennies, and cones.
5:30-6:00 pm
After training, I quickly shower and get changed back into my normal clothes. I then head to The Commons on campus to get some more food as I am usually very hungry after a hard practice. After this, I head home.
6:00-8:45 pm
At this time I have class. Because I am a graduate student, my classes are online so I am able to attend from my home. It is a long class because we only meet once per week.
8:45-11:00 pm
Right after class, I eat a good meal. I then begin to relax for a few hours after a pretty long day. When it gets close to 10:30, I begin getting ready for bed. After this, I will go to sleep.
What's your Daily Grind like? Email us at [email protected].
Image Credit: UMBC Athletics
* Originally published on April 26, 2023, by Rhys Davies
