Every summer, there seem to be a point a few weeks in when, after everyone has settled into their summer jobs and adventures, fall athletes remember something important: Preseason is approaching. Communication between teammates picks up, awkward introductory emails are sent out to first years, team bonding events are planned and an overarching excitement of the coming season quickly builds.
The fall sports season is unique from the winter and spring sports seasons for several reasons, which add to the value of preseason. For one, fall sports are the only sports in which the athletes arrive on campus outside of the actual academic school year. Although winter and spring sports practice through breaks, they typically take place within the school year, with the exception of spring playoffs. Moreover, winter and spring sports tend to have captain's practices leading up to their seasons, while fall sports just arrive on campus from the summer and dive right in. Captain's practices are not as relevant to fall sports, because regardless of what is accomplished in the winter and spring, everyone will ultimately be on their own in the months leading up to the start of the season.
For these reasons, it seems like it's been forever by the time preseason rolls around, and the building excitement over the summer is palpable. There is something magical about the anticipation of arriving on campus a couple of weeks early to have a set period of time to concentrate fully on the sport you love. Here is why preseason is the best season:
1. All you have to do is play your sport.
For one unique period of time, the only commitment you have is to play your sport. There is no homework, studying, social responsibilities, office hours, club meetings or anything holding you back from investing fully in practices and training. While many love the balance of academics, social life and athletics that DIII sports offer, it's fun for a couple of weeks to feel like a professional athlete, with your sport becoming your primary, and only, responsibility.
2. IT'S SUMMER!
While it often feels like 90 percent of the school year takes place during the winter, Vermont during the summer is breathtakingly beautiful. On off days during preseason, teams can take advantage of the summer weather and hang out at Dogteam or the gorge.
3. You get to move in early.
Especially as a first year, scoping out the prime side of the room and arranging the furniture just right before your roomie arrived was clutch, in addition to learning about how to not get lost on the way to your First Year Seminar. You also miss the madness of move-in day, and can move in in peace and quiet to your new room.
4. You have quality time with the team to get to know everyone better.
Some of the best team bonding takes place during preseason, because it's just you and your team on campus. Other fall athletes are on different schedules and Res Life and other groups that also move in early are busy doing their own thing as well. So, it's up to the team to plan fun bonding events and just spend quality time together before the madness of the school year begins.
5. There is sanctioned Netflix-watching.
You pretty much can't do anything else between double day sessions, because your body is too tired to waste energy and everyone needs a little break to recharge for the afternoon. So, you get to watch as much TV as you want without feeling guilty whatsoever.
6. You get your other friends excited about coming back to Midd.
Through various snapchats of your perfectly decorated new room, artsy pics of the sunset while you cross College Street and Instagrams of teammates' unusual dining hall creations, your non-fall-athlete friends start to get FOMO and get anxious to just get back to Midd already. While they are at home into September with friend after friend leaving to start a new school year, your fun times during preseason contribute to getting them pumped up to return for another great year.
