Summer Vacation: When we think about it, we often think of a time of leisure, relaxation, fun memories, and quality time with family and friends. However it is not as simple as people think. While, yes, you will get almost three months of free time for leisure, for Woodgrove football players they still must prepare and begin training for sports in the fall.
Two of these football players, Grant Smith and Andy Olejer, have their plans set for summer. Both are offensive linemen, and both have goals to play football in college. As Smith put it plainly, “Yeah, that’s the goal.”
The first leg of summer in June is usually when college camps/training happens. As Olejer described it, “It’ll be like a combine with other colleges and universities. You essentially run through a combine, and they take your metrics.”
Both Smith and Olejer have a long line up of college camps as it is the best way for schools to see your football abilities. For Smith, he is going to West Virginia’s camp on June 11 and Miami on June 13, and Olejer is going to Davidson on June 14.
Aside from college camps, at home they have mandatory ways to stay in shape. As Smith put it, “We have lifting, like team lifting and conditioning on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week [during summer].” He also added on, saying, “Our lifts are only about an hour long, and they’re pretty early in the morning, so I can work out in the morning and in the afternoon I can rest.”
Football training or summer training before the season begins, according to Smith, around late July or early August. That is when regular practices begin and preparations for next season can truly commence. But even with this work there is also time for vacations. Smith said that he plans to go to Mexico during the summer, and also said, regarding the training. “I’m going to Mexico during our dead week, so there’s no practices or anything that I’ll miss.” But Olejer, a rising senior, does not have as much spare time as Smith. Olejer said, “There’s not much balance with football. I try to take time off whenever I can, but I don’t get much.”
Balance is not easy. It can be very difficult especially with school, sports, and spare time of leisure, but these two make this dedication to their school because of their love of the sport they play in order to make their football dreams come true.