It’s only when the majority of students go home for the summer and select athletes have the run of the land for a couple months, when student-athletes’ offseason work truly begins. In the classroom and on the practice field, some athletes enjoy their break while still staying close to their sport.
Last summer, senior women’s basketball player Shavon Robinson returned home to Canton instead of staying close to the Convo. As a result, she said finding the motivation to work out was much more difficult.
“Now I’m just ready to go and get back into rehab,” said Robinson, who talked of the importance of personal accountability.
It is common for those staying on campus to take a class during the summer, so they can lighten their course load when the season starts. Taking summer classes doesn’t necessarily allow athletes to get ahead in their schoolwork, though it can keep them on track.
“We tend to take some of the more difficult classes in the summer,” said senior football captain Jordan Thompson. “All of your attention is on one class. That really helps out.”
Away from the classroom, teammates tend to stick together during the summer months. Robinson said she will be spending a fair portion of her time kicked back by the pool with her teammates.
On Sunday afternoons, admission to the pool at the Athens Community Center is free with a valid Ohio University I.D., while the golf course is another hot spot for athletes with some spare time. Because most students are away, scheduling a tee time is not too difficult.
While there are many activities for athletes to partake in, their family members can become lonely in the summer.
“(My family) is taking it pretty rough,” Robinson said. “My mom is already making plans to come up here and visit, because she knows I’m not going to be around.”
Missing out on activities with friends back home is another drawback to staying in Athens, though Thompson said, the sacrifice is well worth it.
“I’ve sacrificed a lot, but at the same time, I know there’s people that would love to be doing the things that I’m doing,” Thompson said. “I’m still able to compete in a childhood game, and that’s a cool thing.”
Thompson and Robinson are both looking forward to the summer, even though Athens activities die down considerably. Classes are still letting out and, soon enough, a new batch of fresh faces will join the team roster. The fun has yet to begin.
mm938910@ohiou.edu
