Athletes relax with alternative activities

By DON STEWART
Collegian Staff Writer

Most student-athletes get little time off due to the competitive nature of college sports.

Add jobs and academics to the load, and the student-athlete is left with less of an opportunity and more of a demand for a break.

"It's definitely necessary to have some time off," junior wrestler Clint Musser said. "You've gotta have some time away from the sport. I always feel fresher when I come back from a break."

"The commitment that they make takes a lot of investment in energy in both time and focus," Yukelson said. "It can be very helpful to just recharge your battery. You just need to take time for yourself."

The biggest down-time for student-athletes takes place during the summer. Although athletes are still busy with various responsibilities such as part-time jobs, summer leagues and Penn State sports camps, their overall demands are a bit lighter.

During the summer, each athlete finds a way to unwind.

Volleyball player Sergio Pampena doesn't play much volleyball in the summer. He finds he gets burned out quickly if he plays year-round.

Other student-athletes travel in the summer for relaxation.

Junior Icer goalie John Sixt said he likes to travel the nation and see how many states he can visit. Last summer, Sixt and his father took a trip to the Southwest. Trying to see as much as possible, Sixt said they drove nearly 65,000 miles in under eight days.

"We're nuts like that," he said. "We averaged over 800 miles a day on that trip."

Playing sports for recreation is another way student-athletes like to blow off steam in the summer.

Pampena, for example, plays football, ultimate Frisbee and goes whitewater rafting. Gymnast Janae Whittaker goes mountain biking, rock climbing and water skiing. Musser likes fishing and water sports.

Senior basketball player Jamie Parsons said she likes to play sports she's not good at.

"I love to play (racquetball), but I stink at it," Parsons said. "We do aerobics and I make a fool out of myself doing it, but I enjoy it."

Other common activities among student-athletes include summer jobs, going to the beach, reading, martial arts and catching up with old friends. Exactly what each person does depends on the individual and the demands of their sport.

For example, sophomore Susanne Heyer, a member of the cross country team, indoor and outdoor track teams, doesn't get much free time in the summer. Heyer said sleeping now has become her favorite pastime.

"I like to take naps," Heyer said. "I live on them, to be honest."

There are some players who refuse to take time off. Sophomore fencer Gang Lu and redshirt sophomore football player Chafie Fields both said it's best to keep working in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Volleyball player Christy Cochran sees the summer as another season. In addition to working camps and conditioning, she devotes much of her time to lifting weights. Cochran said she takes Creatine and "rages" to improve her physique.

"I love summer," Cochrane said. "It's so much fun. You get all tan and you just rage out. I love weightlifting and getting big."

In order to avoid burnout, however, some athletes make themselves take a break. Each summer, sophomore basketball player Helen Darling forces herself not to pick up a ball for two weeks. Freshman gymnast Dominic Brindle takes two weeks off from gymnastics in the summer and two weeks off in the winter.

"When you take a break you generally find that afterward you're itching to get back in the gym," Brindle said.

No matter how they get it, that's an itch student-athletes want to scratch.