Seasonal Shifts: Schedule Changes from Fall to Spring!
Hi everyone! If this is your first time seeing a post written by me my name is Caroline and I play for the Princeton Women’s Soccer team. I’m currently a Junior (the time really does fly by!) and I’m majoring in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. My last post focused on the student-athlete balancing act: athletics, academics, and social aspects of my experience intertwined and how I’ve grown to manage them over the years. As I now head back to school for my final spring semester as a collegiate soccer player, I’ve been reflecting on the many differences between fall and spring functioning, and thought it might be helpful to share with any younger audiences, parents, etc. looking to learn a little bit more about the typical lifestyles of a Division 1 athlete.
It is definitely worth noting that the Ivy League works a little bit differently than many of the other leagues across the country. As per Ivy League regulations, we have a certain amount of hours which we are allowed to practice, lift, watch film, or spend team-focused time together– and are held on a tighter time schedule in the spring. This also applies to the fall in terms of arrival time to campus. While some other teams report pretty early or midway through the summer, our league holds us to a pretty strict August start date– it has ranged from the 8th to the 12th over my three years. This is all to say that each of the leagues, divisions, and teams have different protocols and this is just my personal experience at Princeton.
As you might expect, the fall follows a relatively game-focused protocol. Our practices combine both functional (positional) skills, film scout sessions, technical work, and drills focused on aspects of our team play that we look to improve for games. Our lift sessions tend to be lighter weight loads on the body while still working to tone and “bullet-proof” (in the words of our athletic trainer) our muscles for game play. Since we play 1-2 games per week through the fall season and are mandated to take one day off (which typically we utilize the day after a game), the fall consists of 4-5 training sessions and 1-2 lift sessions per week, depending on the game schedule.
The spring training and lifts are much more focused on individual growth and physical fitness, as the team looks to discover our new identity in the absence of a beloved senior class. While there is less time allocated by the NCAA to spend together, there is a great emphasis on asking for feedback in preparation for the upcoming season and going to the field or weight room on your own or with friends to get in some extra work on off days. We play 3 scrimmages to end the spring season towards the end of April but until then tend to practice 3 times and lift twice a week as a team. Our practices tend to be less strategically-focused and more small-sided scrimmages or games with one another to learn our strengths and weaknesses on the field and build confidence. Our lifts are much more intense in the spring as we push our bodies to gain muscle mass and strength, and we set benchmarks for ourselves to aspire towards. On “Max Day,” we test our best scores in movements such as bench press, pull-ups, and front squats. It’s always inspiring to see teammates cheer for one another after crushing personal records and pushing ourselves to the limit.
It feels surreal that this upcoming semester marks my final spring season yet I am excited for the team’s growth and our upcoming season next fall. To this end, being a collegiate athlete for me sometimes results in this hyperfixation on the next season’s results and performance, and a goal of mine for this semester is to slow down and really appreciate the day-to-day with my teammates before it’s gone. From my team to my classes to the amazing extracurriculars, resources, and events available on campus, I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to take full advantage of Princeton, and I plan on doing just that for my last year and a half here!