As fall sports forgo their seasons and head into the off season, many athletes and coaches are focusing on staying in shape for the spring.
Fall sports, such as cross country, continue to find the time to go running and improve times despite their season is over.
The cross country team has certain goals set that help them overcome adversity and improve their training.
“We have team and individual meetings to set up our training plan and team and individual goals,” said Justin Decker, head coach of women’s cross country.
Although teams are taking a break for a few weeks, athletes still have the drive to train and focus on school.
Teams like cross country don’t necessarily have official practice again until the start of the spring semester, but runners still engage in running activities on their own in the meantime.
Coach Decker said they are going to have a good chance at placing high enough in the region to have a shot at qualifying for nationals.
Teammates Hunter Chamberlain, a junior business administration major from St. George, and Tyler Fessler, a freshman statistics major from West Point, have been lifting weights so their legs can fully recover from this past season.
Chamberlain also plans to help coach Dixie High School track team this coming spring.
Both athletes are looking forward to the coming basketball season.
“Ever since Dixie State has had a Men’s basketball team, I have enjoyed going to the games with my dad,” Chamberlain said. “I plan on going to at least a few this year as well.”
All athletes also have set workouts they take part in that help them compete at the collegiate level.
“I’m not doing any big workouts during the off season, but I’m still getting in some good mileage,” said Laynee Wells, a freshman nursing major from St.George. “I love the off season because I get to go on long trail runs.”
Teams like cross country don’t miss a second of training to prepare for the next season. Training helps the mind and body stay in shape and helps the mind stay focused on the task at hand.
