Serena Anagbe / Photo Editor
Fitness training equipment in the LBYMCA gym.
With the off-season wrapping up quickly, Wilfrid Laurier University athletes are in their final stages of preparing for when school sports start up in early fall.
Between the months of May and August, there are no school sports being played, giving student athletes a chance to train, rest up and prepare for the upcoming season.
Third-year criminology student and varsity cross country team member Kennedy Finch noted “running, cycling and lifting weights” as ways to keep in shape during the off-season. On top of this, Finch is a duathlon racer, even calling “duathlon [her] primary sport…when not running cross country.”
Second-year humanities student and fellow cross country runner Kirby Blackman said he “started [training] as soon as he got home from provincials last November.” Blackman also added his love and passion for swimming as a great way to stay in shape during the off-season.
“Swimming has always had a soft spot in my heart,” he said. “Whenever I always get down at the pool, it always puts a smile on my face.”
Laurier Brantford’s own YMCA has also been mentioned as a popular place to train during the off-season, as pointed out by Matthew Chiu, a second-year digital media and journalism student and member of the men’s extramural hockey team. Chiu, who has lived in Brantford this summer, said “the Y really has it all to help keep me in shape…like cardio, lifting weights and pickup basketball.”
Keeping in shape during the off-season is not only important for performance in sports, but also for personal improvement and mental health.
Finch pointed out “staying active outside of competition is very important…and beneficial for mental health.” Chiu also added that “playing sports such as summer pickup basketball and pickup hockey not only keeps me in shape, but also keeps my competitive spirit.”
Laurier Brantford’s student athletes have many different ways to stay active and train while sports are on pause for the summer and the Golden Hawks will look to build off their strong off-seasons when sports return in September.
This article was originally published in print Volume 23, Issue 1 on Thursday, Aug. 31.
