Student-athletes face a strict schedule of practice, study

While this past summer was fun and I enjoyed all the traveling and playing I did,  school is back in full effect.

Classes are moving pretty fast, and it is the time until basketball season begins.

Over these first weeks back to school, things have been going well.

Being a student-athlete can sometimes be a hassle, but so far everything has been a walk in the park.

This year within the first weeks, I’ve seen quite a few different faces every day.

Maybe it’s me but during Celebrate Spirit! this year, I felt that everyone got along really well and had lots of fun. I met way more new people this year than last year.

Although life’s been great this first month in school, the basketball practice routine has been in full force and taking a toll on many of my teammates, especially the newcomers.

We’ve been working hard on and off the court.

Our day usually starts with weights in the morning, which consists of lifting or conditioning.

At this stage, the conditioning has been the most important part in preparing for our upcoming season.

We have started the year off right with running at least three times a week.

We tend to begin our first run with a timed mile at six minutes or better. We usually finish with sprints around the track with a time of 1:20.

On the days we lift, we usually do Olympic lifts, which can get tough at times. But with the right treatment and rest, we’re right back healthy and ready to do everything all over again.

After a morning of hard work and dedication, our class times usually go anywhere from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Following class, we have a set study hall time that we must complete by the end of the week.

Overall, I would say three or four hours of the day are spent in class, two to five in study hall. We then have basketball workouts starting around 3 p.m. 

Right now, we only get two hours a week with our coaches.

The first couple weeks of school, we did three 40-minute workouts with our coaches, focusing on our skills. These workouts were designed for us to get better with our skill work and development as basketball players. 

The week of Sept. 14, we started to have three 40-minute team workouts. These are designed to work on team chemistry and development as a team. 

We also get into the gym on our own to work on our shooting and skill development. 

Days can get pretty busy between school and basketball, so it’s important to have good time management to balance everything. 

That’s a glimpse into a day in the life of a student-athlete. Hope you enjoyed it.

Go Titans!