The issue of an athlete/non-athlete divide—whether or not it exists, and if so, if it’s detrimental to our school’s culture—is a discussion with which most of us are intimately familiar. We want to leave that discussion aside and instead draw attention to a concept that such a focus on this unnecessary binary has caused many of us to overlook: the ways in which varsity athletics can be overgeneralized, considering that a sports season can dramatically alter athletes’ balance of social, academic and athletic commitments. It seems like there are differences within the overly generic “athlete culture” brought about by the seasons in which teams play that noticeably affect the way these teams function. We want to explore the advantages and challenges of playing in each season and acknowledge the extent to which these differences vary our experiences as college athletes.
In an effort to emphasize academics, the NESCAC has reduced the length of preseason. Fall sports (cross country, field hockey, football, golf, rugby, sailing, soccer, tennis and volleyball) seem to be most dramatically affected. While winter and spring athletes spend the months before their season together competing regularly, fall athletes are isolated from their teammates in separate parts of the country as they are committed to summer internships and without guaranteed access to appropriate facilities. Preseason restrictions have pressured some fall teams to gather before official start dates in order to take advantage of those pivotal few weeks before season. These “non-mandatory” gatherings can be expensive and inconvenient to facilitate. Enrolling in training camps and paying to practice off campus before housing opens seems to be the only way to stay competitive. Fall sports have only a short period of time to figure out the skills and resulting role of first years on the team.
“Because we only have a five-day preseason, it’s difficult to mesh as a unit before we start to play together,” said Rachel Stout ’18, who plays women’s soccer. “Socially, it was tough as a freshman to make friends outside of soccer because I was so focused on my team and my sport.” When asked if she would play in another season if possible, she responded, “I would stick with fall. Fall is the best time to play soccer, and I’ve always played in the fall.”
There are certainly disadvantages to being a fall athlete, but to be in season in the fall forges strong and immediate friendships and can help first years feel comfortable at a vulnerable time. In the postseason, fall athletes can branch out, develop other interests and study abroad, as their commitments are more limited.
Winter athletes (basketball, ice hockey, nordic skiing, squash, swimming and diving and track and field) not only forego time abroad but also several weeks of their winter breaks. Some return as early as the day after Christmas. One can argue that because these athletes are making such a huge sacrifice together and spending weeks with each other exclusively, they bond more tightly than fall and spring athletes, creating a better team chemistry. This practice time is free from the distraction of other students and school work; winter athletes can more fully commit to their sport.
Is “J-break” an advantage they have over both fall and spring athletes? Men’s ice hockey sophomore Danny McMullan thinks so. He claims to love it.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “We were able to put in a new system during J-break this year, and it’s been working out pretty well. During the school year, it can be tough to get to practice early, see the trainer and ice bath after because there are so many distractions with schoolwork and other obligations. J-break allows us to focus entirely on hockey.”
Certainly it is beneficial for teams to get to know their first years before season and have a solid eight to nine weeks at school together to prepare. First years also have a chance to make friends outside the team. Jill Rathke, a sophomore on women’s soccer and ice hockey, describes a social distinction between her experience as a fall and winter athlete.
“I think it’s nice to be on a winter sports team, even if I didn’t play a fall sport, because it gives me the opportunity to have friends outside of my team during season,” Rathke said. “Last year, the hockey girls in my grade got really close, but we all had our own friends from the fall, so it didn’t feel quite as forced.” Although they do spend all winter with their team exclusively, winter athletes’ commitments lighten up in conjunction with the good weather and events on campus, namely Ivies which is a perfect celebration of their season.
Spring athletes never get to experience a postseason at Bowdoin. Baseball, lacrosse, sailing, softball, tennis and track and field are perpetually anticipating and preparing for their seasons while at school. It would make sense then for their team units to be strongly integrated in their social lives on campus, as they have organized training that starts two weeks into the academic year. First years have had time to build strong relationships with their teammates and demonstrate their skills in their respective playing arenas. This long buildup can be considered a little stifling but also advantageous for the team dynamic. Baseball sophomore Nick Sadler affirms the benefits of playing in the spring.
“As a freshman, I think it’s an easier transition for spring athletes than it is for fall athletes,” he said. “It’s great to be able to settle into academics, establish friendships and get to know the team in the time leading up to season. Fall athletes go from 0 to 60, but we have the ability to get to know each other and establish a strong team chemistry before we start to play.”
Playing in the “spring” in Brunswick, however, poses unique challenges. Softball senior Nicole Nelson notes that she and her teammates have to shovel and pick the ice off their home field.“Last year we had barely any home games,” she said. According to Katie Gately, another senior on the team, their coach sets up water heaters and has a system of trying to get certain areas of the field to melt.
Spring athletes must often practice in the steamy Farley Field House and be prepared for game cancellations and schedule changes. In order to finance Spring Break trips to warmer weather, the teams have to fundraise or pay out of pocket. Despite having to devote their vacation to their sport, spring sports athletes likely benefit from the stress-free competitions and somewhat enjoy relaxing in destinations like Florida and California in the down time. When asked if he would play in another season, Sadler said he wouldn’t.
“I’d play in the spring, regardless of weather limitations,” Sadler said. “Once the sun comes out and it warms up, it’s so much more fun to go out and play. I’m a spring guy.”
Our discussion does not quite account for two-season sports. Senior sailor Erin Mullins and her teammates are officially “in season” in both the fall and spring. For the team, the fall season is necessary to stay competitive on a national level.
“The fall is like a practice season for our National Championship season in the spring,” she said. “Most of the spring season, we’re dry.” According to Mullins, while this can be “socially hindering,” especially for first years, the winter can be a great time to explore and make other friends.
Obviously every athlete has a different experience at Bowdoin. Although we cannot come close to summing up each season, we hope to have exposed how many of our social lives and athletic commitments are season-dependent constructions. It is difficult to identify which season is most suited for success. It would be interesting to see how the athlete dynamics at Bowdoin (teams’ field performance as well as social patterns) would change if all teams were exposed to more similar seasonal conditions.
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