Last year, in the 2024 season for spring track and field, there was a period of about two weeks of an open gym available before the first mandatory practice. This was completely optional, but recommended to athletes for the extra training to get them prepared and started for what the season would bring. This year, however, there was not enough time due to winter track ending later than usual.
Athletes have different opinions for the option of an open gym. Some think it is not beneficial, while others think that it can be. One of these students, Maya Fultz, thinks that it would help prepare the athletes for the harder practices ahead of them. “I have never done open gyms, considering I’m a freshman, but making it something that maybe isn’t every day of the week might be helpful.” She believes that they should be more lax due to being so close to winter track but to still incorporate them every year for those interested.
On the other hand, Sophomore Alyssa Umberger believes that they would not be entirely beneficial or make a difference to athletes’ performances in the upcoming season. “A lot of the team likely played a winter sport, so they would probably want some time off.” This would support the idea that a break between the sports played in fall, winter, and spring would be nice for athletes so they are not consistently under pressure all the time.
No matter who thinks of the time before spring track and field as beneficial when there is no open gym rather than having one, or vice versa, everyone’s body is different and some may need to condition a lot more and longer in order to maintain the progress they have made.
