Every sport has an end to its season, but what happens during this break is just as important as the regular season.

The offseason for athletes is a crucial part of training for their sports and can truly make or break their regular sports season. They use this time to fix any problems from the previous season while they prepare for the one that is upcoming.

Sophomore and varsity tennis player Abby Gleason uses the offseason to prepare herself for the upcoming season, and she even knows what she needs to work on to help better herself for what lies ahead. “During the offseason, I mostly work on what I struggled with during the season. I do my best to stay active and keep consistent with what I did well on during the season,” Abby says. “For me, I like to work on serving and volleying since there is always room for improvement. My ground strokes are strong, but I make sure to rally with a teammate every so often to make sure I’m not losing any skill over time.”

Abby also talks about how difficult it is to truly improve her skills, but she still finds reason to continue. “My motivation is to always do better than I did the previous year. Although that can be somewhat unrealistic, it’s never impossible,” says Abby. “Improving is my favorite part of the offseason. There is no better feeling than visual improvement.”

Sophomore and JV volleyball captain Kinzi Tilton also has reason to stay motivated during her offseason with her sights set high for her future in volleyball. “I motivate myself by just thinking about going D1 and thinking about my successful future. The only way I will make that goal is to train in the off-season and not just sit on my couch all day,” Kinzi says. “It’s very important to me only because I want to play D1 volleyball at a big school like the University of Wisconsin, so training in the off-season makes me feel like I am going that extra mile for my teammates as well.”

Kinzi also talks about what she does to prepare and how it benefits her during the regular season. “In the off-season, I typically work out three days a week and go to every open gym or camp that I am invited to or that is available for me. The training helps me by getting prepared for the season to stay in shape and already have touched a volleyball in the off-season before I pick up the actual season,” says Kinzi.

Senior and varsity softball captain Maya Holser also trains frequently during the offseason with and without her team and also talks about how it helps her during her softball season. “I go to hitting lessons at least once a week and practice with my travel team for four hours every other weekend along with playing fall ball games and Scrimmages,” says Maya. “The training helps me keep up with my skills and helps me keep getting better every day. It is vital to stay in shape and not lose those skills so we can grow as a team to be better than before.”

Offseason training is important for all athletes to help improve both specific skills and all-around athletic ability. If you’re an athlete in your offseason, remember how crucial this time is for your performance during your regular season, and consider training if you aren’t already. Afterall, you have a responsibility to both yourself and your team to be the best athlete you can be.